Shinto Teito: Showdown
by Anime93
Summary: Sci-Fi/Adventure/Supernatural The summary is inside.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: The Sekirei Plan is closing to falling apart at the seams. Minaka refuses to stop it, Takami can't stop it, the Sekirei are in the middle. Add a few powerful individuals some crazed on world domination and total omnipotence into the mix and what do you get? Total and utter mayhem

I'm trying another crossover just for fun, this one is going to be a Prototype and Sekirei crossover. I've read the wiki as best as I could and I think I have a few things down for sure. But for those well versed in Prototype PLEASE, please leave me some pointers and stuff because that would help me a lot.

Warning: This story will contain: Violence, gore, intense violence, sexual themes, suggestive themes, sexual content, Nudity, OCs, and adult situations. For these reasons it will be rated M. Also is a dark/darker fic.

If I use a person, character from another fic. I _will always give credit where it's due, even if the person personally doesn't care. _

_Chapters will be as long as 20,000 words to 3,000ish words._

I own nothing in this story.

* * *

This is more like a prologue/chapter one.

To rebuild the world. That was what his colleague and friend, Alex Mercer proposed to him. It was a dream that he himself could envision, a world free of disease, weakness, greed, all of these calamities that bogged everything down would be wiped out as they cleaned the filth with their own hands. They'd stand at the top of the mountain overseeing everyone, they'd rule the world, command entire legions with a snap of their finger.

To purge the world of weakness. It was something he could envision, there would be no pity, no mercy. Decisions would be made and carried through without pitiful emotions coming into play, without second guessing. Essentially they'd all be under one mind, one ultimate power. Of course there would be losses, it couldn't be helped but it was the process of elimination the weakest links would be gone early on.

But.

It was just that.

A dream.

Chaos was quick to ensue as the top scientists of Gentek were being assassinated one by one. Rumors of the strange experiments conducted within the fortress reached the ears of many over time. But it was just a rumor, however after the string of scientists and figures being picked off in the ranks, the rumors were confirmed. The Black Light Virus did indeed exist, and Blackwatch was behind the purging of his fellow colleagues.

Alex fled immediately upon figuring this one crucial fact out. He smuggled a vial containing the virus for extra insurance while sending a laptop with top secret information. But Blackwatch was too quick and within just a few hours he was tracked and cornered in Penn Station. They had used numbers, large numbers to completely overwhelm him, the entire station and the six blocks encompassing the area were surrounded. Frustrated beyond his human limits, and rage burned through his body like blood he smashed the vial letting out a howl of pure anger before he was shot down. Everything he and his colleague had worked for, towards, their dream. No their destiny was thrown to the way side.

Alex could hardly believe it, he was betrayed. And he was going to die, die a cold death with at least a hundred bullets in his body. There was a shred of hope that his colleague was alright, that he somehow managed to outrun Blackwatch and find safety somewhere. But it wasn't likely if he himself was cornered then his colleague wasn't faring any better, he was lying in his own pool of blood. The vial smashed as his lifes work was stripped before his eyes just before he felt the burning pain of bullets flying through his chest, tearing through his lungs and rupturing his spleen.

Even now as he stared with rage as the soldiers advanced on him he could feel one thing. Clarity. He was right this entire time, he didn't regret creating the virus and unleashing it on New York City in a sick and twisted experiment. No he rejoiced in his results, many perished, while some evolved. He glanced to the side his vision blurring between black and a mix of colors, vaguely he turned to look at the growing puddle of blood, his blood. Coughing as he sucked in a breath he could faintly make out something... It was at the edge of his vision as he lost consciousness, but before he blacked out he could feel something attach itself.

He was hauled back in a body bag. Blackwatch made sure to search high and low for him and three others. With one found they quickly took him back to a secret base to conduct an autopsy. But that's when Alex made his presence known, as soon as they removed him the bullets wounds were regenerating.

After that he just remembered screaming as he felt the virus reconstructing his body, cell by cell; his biomass steadily feeding the virus. That's when he began his own purge lashing out with just a simple punch, he was surprised when the virus morphed into a blade cleaving through three soldiers, decapitating one while completely severing the other two soldier's bodies. He renewed his efforts fueled with rage and a new knowing.

He was certain his colleagues _at least _one of them was like him. They were the same, similar like two peas in a pod. Two sides of the same coin.

They were rare, one in a quadrillion.

And he was the first one to be known as: A Prototype.

* * *

Shinto Teito was like any metropolis during the day. The streets were crowded with traffic so much so that entire lanes were backed up, causing other lanes to be backed up. People who were smarter or worked close packed onto the sidewalk having a clear idea of where they were going they didn't stop. If anyone happened to get in their way they'd just shoulder them and continue on their way as if nothing happened.

Hulking planes carrying passengers out of and into the country of Japan constantly buzzed overhead shaking the nearby radius with their roaring engines as they came in for a landing. Snake like subway cars sped through the city at speeds exceeding sixty miles, these were for the people that needed to get where they needed to and quickly. Not to mention it was quite expensive compared to the regular subway which ran opposite of the more high tech variation. It had the regular cars, rectangular and large in shape.

Mid Bio Informatics or MBI for short was the newer, dominant company in all of japan. In the short span of twenty years the company made an impact in the medical field with their alien technology salvaged from the fallen ships.

* * *

"This is a grand day!" A man with white hair shouted to the sky standing at the edge of the tower overseeing the entire city of Teito from all directions. He grinned to himself, inclining his head as the light reflected off of his glasses. His eyes traced over every part of the city beaming with glee and unrestrained excitement, he raised his arms up to either side of him opening his hands. "A grand day this is indeed!" He shouted boisterously again.

He continued on with his screaming, ignoring him standing a few feet away was a woman of a slender build with light hair and a scar running over her left eye. Exhaling a cloud of smoke, she scrunched her brows as the man retorted something completely idiotic for who knows how much today. Looking with distaste she flicked the butt, pulling out another cigarette she inhaled the toxic fumes.

It was like this every day, as she looked ahead she wondered how it happened. How did this man, this idiotic man give her two children. He was never the kind of person to actually care, he had bigger plans as he put it. He was responsible for bringing a new age, an age of gods. The woman shook her head, massaging her forehead with the heel of her hand.

That was alright with her, she didn't want her children knowing her foolish mistake. The only thing good that came out of any of this was her spineless son and perverted daughter. To think, she focused her eyes more, this man was a genius, he was the most intelligent man at the university she attended, she was attracted to that brilliant mind that was like hers in so many ways. He built MBI up from the ground to what it is today, the most powerful company in Japan and the world. Was she wrong for helping him?

No. She realized. Even if she did go against him she'd just be dead or somewhere where no one could find her. She witnessed what happened to her co worker and close friend, he didn't agree with Minaka and despite his best efforts his death was in vain. "Will you shut up!?" The woman exclaimed, the laughing man turned around instantly with wide eyes before he grinned.

"That wasn't nice, Takami-kun." The man said in mock hurt as he turned back to oversee the city. "Are you afraid? There's no need to fear it." He said cheerfully as his cape billowed gently in the wind adding to his iconic or annoying appearance in this case.

"I'm not afraid." The woman said in a blunt manner. "I'm just sick and tired of this." She said resisting the urge to clench her teeth down on the butt of her cigarette. She inhaled sharply, exhaling slowly as she looked off to the side for a few moments turning back to the man of her ire. "I always knew you had a few screws loose, but this is really pushing it Minaka even for you."

The eccentric man turned his head slightly staring at her with a calm expression, he turned on a dime walking towards her at a brisk pace, his cape billowing wildly from the movement. "You're not afraid?" He questioned quietly before grinning like an idiot stopping a few feet away from her. "Then tell me, Takami-kun, if it isn't fear then what is it?" He asked his grin widening.

Takami held back a sigh, exhaling smoke again. "Will you be serious for once!?" She almost snapped her eyes flaring up in rage as she took a step forward. Minaka audibly gasped in shock as he stumbled back a few steps, fear completely overtaking his movements. Takami continued leering angrily at him taking another step. "You don't know anything about him, yet you're going to release him in Shinto Teito. Where MBI tower is, where you the game master are, where the Sekirei are out playing this game as you like to call it! What if he wings a Sekirei?!" She took a few steps back breathing sharply through her nose.

"Then my dear Takami he will become part of this glorious battle! He will have the chance to change the future, rewrite it as he sees fit!" Minaka answered jovially not losing a step in his usual crazy demeanor. He studied Takami carefully rubbing his chin with his hand in deep thought for a moment. "It'll make this game all the more glorious! I as the Game Master have a duty to see to it that this game goes according to my calculations!" He let out a laugh as he left the idea out there for Takami to process and register.

She stood looking puzzled for a second at the laughing man. She would say he really lost it, but that was as old as a chicken joke. She recalled back to her earlier thoughts of regret, second guessing her decisions. As a scientist she never second guessed and did everything for the sake to further her knowledge. It wasn't terrible that she was essentially the second in command, there was no stopping it. But, she could regulate Minaka's insanity to some degree, and make sure that no unnecessary risks and decisions were made. Frustration boiled over, she launched her clipboard forward at lightning speed, Minaka was laughing one minute the next he yelped in shock and pain slamming back first onto the floor muttering incoherent babble.

"Don't call me dear. I am not you dear." Takami said coldly as she turned on a dime walking back into the tower.

"Make preparations for our new guest." Minaka said with a painful tone as he got to his knees shaking the stars from in front of his eyes. He craned his head up looking at the back of Takami's retreating form. "I want to make sure his stay is pleasant as possible." He stood back up to his feet brushing off his white cape and white dress shirt of dust and small pebbles. "Note to self, buy a happuri to avoid the flying clipboard." He said to himself before breaking out into unrestrained laughter.

He knew Takami wouldn't take the news good, often times she never did recently. She usually threw the clipboard at him, or like the incident a few weeks ago punching him almost off of his tower. He wasn't dettered in the least in his efforts, he was in charge and whether she liked it or not wanted to or not Takami was going to follow orders, just as he ordered or wrote them. He expected nothing less from the woman that birthed his two children, she never lost that edge even after all of these years. She was the only woman he could come to love, and despite the rift he hoped one day to get in the good graces of his family. Once this game was over and the era of gods was cemented and his legacy lived on, only would he then put this aside.

But until then he was the Game Master and CEO of MBI. He did what he wanted, how he wanted, when he wanted. He was under no one's thumb, he had power and connections to make anyone bend to his will. Smirking to himself he peered behind him at the setting sun that was blanketing the sky in orange and blue and letting the cool wind blow freely through the hot, moist air. He turned back to the door stepping with a stride. "Time to welcome one of the many to be new contestants." The excitement dripped off every word.

* * *

Soooo. Leave me some reviews! Short chapter but it's to get things going and of course I have to show off Minaka's insanity from the jump, he's funny.

Anyways leave some reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

Death was cold, there was no light at the end like those folktales rambled about there was only black, inky black, eternal darkness. The feeling of the body was numb, it was like drifting. Death was a cold embrace that faced him after he tried to escape the purging, but it didn't do him any good. It was already too late he watched dozens of Blackwatch soldiers marching through the street searching out any and every area for him.

He was like a cornered animal.

He was entirely surrounded and he had no way out. Well there was only one but he wasn't ready to accept that, not until he made them all suffer. Their interference wouldn't go unpunished not as long as he drew breath. The first bullet left his body and he didn't even realize it that was followed by dozens more, the taste of blood, the feelings of his lungs burning his heart pumping blood to fuel his system to prolong his life. It was a futile effort he realized as he watched the puddle grow ever more around him. _Shit...I can't believe this... _He mentally cursed as he tried to move but his body wouldn't respond. He lost too much blood, his lungs were punctured it was all but a miracle he was still alive.

The soldiers began to surround him loading their rifles ready to finish the job. They were told to shoot on sight no questions about it. He vaguely looked in the direction where he smashed the vial unleashing the virus. His vision blurred and as blackness embraced him in its cold arms he felt something reach out. And he lost all feeling, but he was alive!

* * *

Takami read the contents of her clipboard as she looked at the large tank in front of her. She was surrounded by technology at least twenty years ahead of what they seen on earth now, her eyes searching for and picking up any detail that would sway by anyone else. She looked at the man hovering in the center of the tank. He was in stable condition although he seemed to be rousing rather violently.

She couldn't recall where or how Minaka found this man, but she first discovered him after the crazed man had her run some tests. She was startled at what she saw, Minaka the bastard she knew he was sick and twisted but was there a limit?

There was a small beep every few seconds on the heart monitor. She idly glanced to the side nodding her head lightly as all his vitals seemed to be in perfect condition. How, more importantly why he was in this tank was the question? This tank was normally used to put the Sekirei in stasis and allow them to heal naturally, it was one of the many things she pushed for to help smooth things out in the game.

With readings like this it was strange for him to be unhealthy. Everything she gathered thus far made him a perfectly healthy male.

"I don't understand what Minaka is thinking anymore..." She massaged her temples fighting off the oncoming headache she suffered daily. She reached into her pocket pulling out a cigarette she sparked it inhaling sharply as she closed her eyes, exhaling slowly she opened them back up heading out of the room.

She wasn't exactly sure why she herself had to come down here to watch over this man, a complete stranger. She had much more important things to do besides babysitting, like keeping watch over the Sekirei game, that was something on the more productive list. Minaka was losing, she thought with a solemn expression, nobody in the right mind would allow a person who is a complete stranger to be in the base where you reside.

What was stopping this man if he woke up and began to attack with no remorse?

She stopped in front of the elevator pressing the arrow pointing upward. There was a clicking sound as the doors opened, Takami stepped in pressing a combination of buttons before the door closed and she began to ascend. Teito Tower was tall, she sighed everything he did was overly dramatic including this tower which was in the middle of the city. The elevator ride didn't take long, Takami reached the eightieth floor stepping out with her usual expression.

"Takami!" Minaka said excitedly as he turned his gaze onto her, light beaming off of his glasses. She braced herself mentally for one of his ramblings or outbursts, she strode forward not making eye contact. "I suspect everything is in order?" Minaka raised an eyebrow questionably looking at her with an intense expression for a few moments.

"Yes, although I fail to understand why he is in a stasis tank used for healing the Sekirei." She said with a deadpan expression doing nothing to hide the annoyance in her tone. She extended her arm in front of her reading the contents of her clipboard again.

Minaka grinned easily leaning back into his chair. "Excellent, I'm happy that this won't slow down the game in the least." He said barely holding the glee back, he set his elbows on the tables interlacing his fingers as he lost himself in thought. Takami simply nodded in response half paying attention. "As for the stasis tank there's no need for you to worry about that."

"I do have to worry!" Takami said anger rising inside of her as she locked eyes with him. "Those are meant for Sekirei who have been hurt! Not for your own personal leisure use with complete and utter strangers who could be a danger to me, yourself, and the Sekirei." She ground out between clenched teeth as everything inside of her screamed to punch this man in the face, but she restrained herself.

"I am the Game Master." Minaka said in a dry tone as he leveled a gaze with Takami. "I will do as I see fit whether you like it or not Takami, your opinion doesn't matter." He stated matter of factly pressing a small button on his desk. "Excuse me."

"Yes Minaka-san?" A woman's voice said from the other end politely.

"Send up one of the new security guards I would like to have a word." Minaka said in a cryptic tone ignoring Takami's pointed stare and raised eyebrow as she silently questioned him.

"Right away Minaka-san."

Takami narrowed her eyes staring at Minaka with a mysterious expression. "Why did you call him?" She asked dryly folding her arms over her chest. She waited for an answer while trying to think of the reason why Minaka would send a new employee up. It wasn't for a promotion and it certainly wasn't for congratulations. Minaka ignored her questions as he silently waited for his door to open, all would be explained soon enough, rather seen first hand. Dear Takami would have all of her questions answered and he couldn't wait to see the look on her face.

A few minutes later someone entered the room. Minaka glanced up. The man was in his late twenties with a buzz cut and bushy face. He had an athletic build and was rather tall for one of Japanese descent, he wore the standard security outfit consisting of military grade pants, black boots, and a black flak jacket. On his back was holstered a sub machine gun. Minaka took his security very, very serious. "You needed me Minaka-san?" He asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Yes." Minaka nodded. "I'd like you to go down to the fortieth floor and wait in the room on the far left. When you enter you maybe a bit surprised with what you see, but rest assured it serves its purpose. When you're there, you are to stay there and not leave under any circumstances. Understood?" He asked, turning fully to look at the man before him.

"Is that all?" He asked with an almost surprised expression.

"Yes." Minaka said with a curt nod.

The security guard exited the room a second later going about to get his task handled. He wasn't sure what to feel as he made his way up to the office, Minaka was... Crazy and even he heard the ridiculous ramblings he spouted, but this sure as hell beat patrol which was boring. He signed up to shoot people if need be and at least slam someone to the ground. He wasn't expecting this.

Takami gave him a pointed stare silently demanding him to explain his actions. Minaka just stared into her eyes before looking out the window for a moment clearly getting a rise out of his head researcher. Takami stomped her foot angrily. "What gives? You're not grinning like an idiot anymore and why did you send him?" She fired one question after the last all in one breath as she continued to give him the pointed look, the cigarette ash half the length of the original cigarette.

Minaka turned around in his chair reclining back as he turned on his one hundred inch flat screen TV that hung right behind him. He didn't remember why he bought it, or had those workers walk up the stairs and install rather than take the elevator but he was sure glad he got it. This was the perfect occasion to put it to use, exhaling smoothly he allowed a grin to form on his face. "Just watch Takami." He picked up a control device switching to the screen of the security guard making his way down. "Oh, what was his name?"

"You moron." She said with disdain. "His name is Azure."

Minaka nodded understandingly as he zoned in on the screen. "I hope he satisfies out guest."

Takami scrunched her eyebrows holding back the question that was at the tip of her tongue. She wasn't in the mood for Minaka's games and decided to just watch the screen with slight interest.

* * *

Azure navigated through the maze of hallways stopping in front of a large door. It was rather large like one you would see where the scientist keeps his latest experiment. Knowing Minaka that couldn't be too far off. He pressed his hand to the door until there was a beep and it slid open, stepping into the room he glanced around.

The room was barely lit, the only source of light coming from the stasis tank. He turned to the side noticing dozens of other tanks just like the one in front of him, he held back the curse at the tip of his tongue as he analyzed each one. They looked almost as if they were eggs... He grimaced turning away strolling towards the one in the center.

He consciously grabbed his gun loading it out of habit. The man hovering in the tank looked completely normal, he had shaggy black hair that fell to the middle of his back and had a muscular build. He had darker skin and seemed to be asleep as he floated undisturbed in the tank.

"What in the hell is this?" He asked himself as he walked to the front of the tank to get a better look. "Minaka has lost it." He muttered.

_"There's nowhere else to run!" A soldier shouted the sound of dozens of footsteps thundering off the concrete met his ears the same time as the shout distorting each other. He glanced back with a wild look in his eyes as he bounded over a platform climbing over the top landing roughly on the ground._

_He shook off the burning pain he felt in his knee getting back up to his feet he took off in a sprint. The lights flashed past him, his legs carrying him as fast as they possibly could despite the fatigue and constant burning. He jolted to the side as sparks flew lighting up the tunnel. Several more followed as he let out a cry of pain feeling the bullet enter his back and exit through his collarbone. The pain was immense and made him dizzy as he struggled to move his body. Blood began to flow onto the cement around him and the footsteps got closer by the second._

_"Son of a bitch." He cursed pulling a vial from his coat pocket looking at it with pain filled eyes. He glared back at the approaching soldiers smirking to himself. He smashed his hand into the ground, shattering the vial and unleashing the virus. The burning pain of glass sticking into his hand was numbed out by more bullets entering his body. "It's too late..." He rasped choking on his own blood. "It's much... Too late."_

Azure looked carefully at the man in the tank. His reactions had changed a lot over the last ten minutes, his eyes constantly tensed and the wailing of machines nearby alerted him of his accelerated heart rate and breathing rate. Either he was dying or something freaky was happening inside of his head, it could've been a nightmare.

_"This is what we've been working on all of this time. Behold. This is the answer!"_

_"And you're certain that this is the key? This is what we need to become unstoppable?"_

_"My friend, 'unstoppable' isn't the word for this..." A voice cackled. "With this everything will be in our grasp, nothing will be able to stop us. They could drop a bomb and it'd do no good."_

_"What, is this called? Shall you or I give it a name?"  
_

_"Black Light. Black Light virus."_

Azure looked from the tank to the door several times while hefting his gun up in front of his chest. He wasn't a genius but even he knew the loud wailing couldn't be a good sign. He wondered why Minaka decided to call him up for this task, the man hardly even paid him any mind. He'd be lucky that Minaka knew his name.

The man in the tank eye's shot wide open flicking dangerously around the room. He glanced around taking notice of the man holding a gun across his chest like it was some security blanket. He grimaced as his ears perked up at the high pitched wailing causing them to almost ring in protest. He shook his head keeping himself composed as he looked down at his feet noticing he was completely nude and in some sort of tank with strange liquid.

"Ah, you're awake." A boisterous voice rattled the man out of his analytical gazing. He furrowed his brows looking around to find the source of the voice, seeing none he thought about responding.

"Shut your mouth." He almost snapped barely restraining his rage at being startled. He tried to move but found that his limbs were like anvils. "Where am I? How did I get here?" He asked the questions in rapid succession glaring at his surroundings with confusion. He didn't recognize this place, this room, these tanks he'd never seen before. And why was he in one? He closed his eyes as he awaited an answer while calming down his own heart rate.

"My, aren't you full of questions?" The boisterous voice came back full force again. The man shook violently as he went to punch the glass but his arm didn't even go up halfway. "I would love to answer them myself, but wouldn't you rather do a little... Information stealing yourself?" He could see a smirk appearing on the man's face speaking to him through the strange speakers in the tank.

"Where are you?" The man inquired looking around again with an almost dumbfounded expression. His Japanese was a bit rusty.

"I am secure in the tower my good friend." The voice responded not missing a beat. There was a pause before he continued. "I left a little present for you." That's when the man's pitch black eyes turned coldly towards Azure who looked like he was ready to soil his pants at any moment.

"One more question. Why the hell am I naked?" The man asked in an angry, impatient tone of voice as he clenched and unclenched his fists slowly getting the feeling back into his arms. He inhaled deeply as he clenched his fists tighter feeling his strength return, it was a feeling that could only be compared be being born a second time. It was like inhaling your very first breath, it was painful and shocking, but it rushed through his blood. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost completely ignored Minaka's explanation, shaking his head a few times he listened carefully.

"I apologize." Minaka said with what seemed genuine sincerity then the connection just cut itself off. "But, it was necessary."

"Enjoy our welcoming present!" The boisterous voice blasted through the speakers around the room.

* * *

"Minaka you bastard!" Takami shouted at the top of her lungs almost losing herself to the pent up rage she harbored. She looked at the screen intently observing everything happening. She was shocked when the man awoke, his voice was so cold and distant it sent a shiver up and down her spine and made her blood freeze. That was the voice of a killer, one who was slain thousands with their bare hands, she only recalled feeling this level of fear few times in her life.

When Minaka began to speak to him she was even more puzzled. Didn't he have enough sense not to provoke this man floating in the stasis tank. Why was he almost egging him on to cut loose in the tower, Minaka was a genius and normally she wouldn't worry. The tower was like a fortress, nobody could break in, nobody got out, and it overseen the entire city. But the man in that tank was dangerous, she could tell just from his voice.

"Takami." Minaka said in a serious tone of voice as he turned to address her. "Don't take your eyes off the screen." He turned back focusing his eyes on the screen.

"Why?" She felt the need to ask.

"You will see."

* * *

Azure took several steps back pointing his gun in a threatening manner. He was careful to keep his distance after he opened his eyes, he seen that look before and it made him soil himself. This man was dangerous, very dangerous.

The man in the tank clenched his right fist snapping it forward, his knuckles connected with the glass spilling the contents of the tank all over the place almost flooding the room. Azure gasped in shock as he bolted for the door, reaching forward to open it he could only widen his eyes in fear. "Minaka-san!" He exclaimed pulling on the door harder.

"This is ridiculous." The man said to himself as he jumped down from his post crushing the glass under his feet as he landed on the ground surprisingly swift. He looked himself over wrinkling his nose as a horrible stench reached his nostrils. "What the hell?" He muttered, taking several steps forward to get a better look at the room. It was something that would normally appear in a sci-fi flick with the strange tanks surrounding him. He'd be disturbed by what he saw if he didn't see much stranger things in his lifetime this was mild to him, at least.

"D-Don't you come any closer!" Azure shouted the fear was evident in his voice as he pushed himself against the door trying to make himself as small as possible. The man standing in front of him gave him a dry look as he took a step forward his cold eyes locking onto his burning a hole through him. "S-Stay back you freak!" He yelled firing his gun wildly. Bullets ricocheted off the walls, floor, and his body? Azure blinked as he watched the bullets hit the man's chest just to bounce away as if they hit solid steel.

"Well," the man strode forward with the same cold look on his face. "Opening your big mouth didn't increase your chances of survival." He allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. "Not that you ever had a chance in the first place." The man extended his arm forward, scrunching his eyebrows for a moment as he concentrated intensely.

His eyes danced with pride and something close to happiness as he watched his arm become covered with a hardened substance trailing all the way up to his shoulder, he flicked his wrist nonchalantly, several tendrils shot forward racing towards Azure who continued to shoot until he emptied his clip. The tendrils pierced through his flesh like a knife to hot butter and wrapped around his joints compressing downwards until they snapped in half causing him to scream in pain.

* * *

Takami's clipboard smacked the floor as she was frozen in horror at what she just watched. She didn't take her eyes off the screen as she heard Azure's cries and pleas for mercy be effectively and brutally silenced.

She looked at Minaka with the same expression, but was shocked to find him grinning. Grinning madly. She swallowed the lump in her throat suddenly glad to be by this idiot rather than where she was a half hour ago. "What _was that?"_ She asked incredulously, unable to find the energy to glare.

"That my dear Takami." Minaka spoke with a grin as he continued where she left off. "Is the newest participant of the Sekirei Plan."

* * *

Thanks for the review, guest I hope to hear from you again. Well, another chapter off the clipboard for this story. If you are versed in Prototype and have some pointers to give I will appreciate those, if you don't stick around for the story.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm pretty sure I didn't play the games... But I had a lot of games when I was a kid so I can't recall exactly but I'm pretty sure I never played the games one or two. That helped a lot, I'll be sure to PM.

* * *

It was like lightning, striking in short instances too fast for the eye to track. Azure, better what was left of him which wasn't much caused this effect. His memories flooded the man's mind like a video player, each scene playing before his very eyes, he could smell the air, taste the food, feel the emotions as if he was there and they were his own. Azure lived a typical life, was the the second oldest sibling out of two brothers and two sisters, he was an above average student passing his tests with ease but was one of those kids that liked to be the bad ass and got in trouble. Funny, in high school he was almost expelled and arrested for having a pound of Marijuana in his locker and a liter of whiskey stowed away in his water bottle. That was by the far the most interesting thing, his college span was a typical one he graduated the tenth of his class, and not soon after he aspired to work at MBI.

It seemed that 'bad ass' persona he never managed to grow out of. He joined the job for two reasons shoot people and the money. And while he was getting the former, he didn't get the latter and that caused him to sleep on certain shifts.

Minaka. Hiroto Minaka was the man's name speaking to him so flippantly on those speakers, and he was located in Japan. He could've figured that out on his own listening to Minaka speak in the Japanese tongue, he was currently housed in MBI tower on the fortieth floor. Azure didn't know much about Minaka, but he had some knowledge of MBI. They were revolutionizing the medical field for the past twenty years with their advanced technology, Minaka from what he gathered was a nut case.

"Now to get out of here." He muttered looking towards the door then at his unclothed body. "And find some clothes." He added dully, springing forward he lashed out with his fist, the same substance as before formed around it crashing through the steel and concrete throwing debris everywhere outside of the room and producing a cloud of smoke. He tensed his hand, the substance working its way through his pores back into his body.

"So eager to leave are we?" Minaka's voice boomed everywhere around him furthering to infuriate him. "The guard you mercilessly killed was just an upstart with no real knowledge besides the expectations he's supposed to meet." The man grunted already drawing that conclusion from the ridiculous things he relived. "I would like you to say and talk for a while Sh-"

"Don't speak my name." The man almost snarled narrowing his jet black eyes. "How do you know my name?"

"I know... Certain things." Minaka replied cryptically. "I assure you I mean you no harm. I just want to talk." Minaka, he realized was being very polite, almost cautious. He dug back into Azure's memories to pick anything out about behavioral patterns in the director and CEO of MBI but only managed to pick up that he was a lunatic and not much else. A personal opinion more likely. Well, conversation wouldn't hurt even if Minaka's voice grated his nerves he still had to gather his bearings.

"What is it? Spit it out." The man almost demanded.

"You can speak Japanese so fluently already!" He crowed with joy and puzzlement clearly not expecting that. "I'd like to ask you a few questions-"

"Get. On. With. It!" The man snapped nearly losing his patience.

"Straight to the point I see." Minaka said after a moment of silence. "By now you know that you are in Shinto Teito and in MBI tower." He said casually as if he was talking about the weather or a day at the park.

"I've gathered as much."

"Well!" His voice perked up with excitement. "You have awoken just in time, the game has begun but it is still young!" Minaka began to laugh uncontrollably in glee for a few seconds before clearing his throat and excusing himself for the outburst. "As I was saying before, the game has just begun, and you are the contestant that could really change things. I the Game Master have to do what's best for the game."

"Shut the hell up." The shaggy haired man said with a loud groan having no qualms of showing how annoyed he was at the moment. "What 'Game' and 'Game Master'? Explain yourself!" He brought a hand up raking it through his thick hair.

"Yes, well it's quite simple. You are now part of the glorious Sekirei Plan!" He said boisterously his voice blasting through the speakers. "The premise is simple, you will wing a Sekirei or multiple Sekireis and then they will fight, fight, fight, and fight! They will battle other Sekirei and if you win you get a grand prize and can ascend to the heavens!" Minaka spoke with a boisterous almost grandiose tone as he laid it out in the most basic format for his guest.

"So let me get this straight." The black haired man said in a bored voice as he ripped the door off a nearby room and gathered a pair of jogging pants and an over sized T-shirt. "I'm part of some tournament where I have to kiss birds, and those birds fight each other?" He sounded amused as he spoke in his deep voice. "Do you take me for a fool or do you want me to rip your trachea?"

Minaka was silent for a few long moments, it felt like hours instead of just a few minutes before he started to talk again. "I see there's a misunderstanding. The Sekirei are actually... Super powered aliens that all have unique abilities and powers at their disposal." Minaka answered in what would be the simplest of manners, no need to spill every detail especially if this man would indeed rip his trachea. "There are 108 in the capitol right now as we speak searching for their Ashikabi, the one person they will spend their entire lives with and fight for." There was a small pause. "Ashikabi are humans who are able to bond with the Sekirei through mucous contact, a kiss if you may." He could see the grin appearing on his face.

The man considered what Minaka practically shouted over the com speakers. While Minaka was the type to lie, steal, and do anything to get what he wanted he wasn't the type to with hold the most basic of information or lie about things involving that information. If what he was saying was true that meant there were 108 superhuman individuals running around in this city without any guidance or restrictions. Minaka was nuts, and he had all about he could stand of the dribble. "Listen to me very closely." He began in a dark tone. "I am not interested in a dating service, if you want a harem that's your decision, not mine. And likewise." He said without a ounce of hesitation as he finished putting the shirt on over his muscular torso.

While, he could use that ability he'd rather use that at an opportune time. Besides, he never liked following along like a lost sheep, and sure as hell wasn't going to walk around with an MBI logo on his back.

"It's not a dating service or porn I assure you." Minaka said sounding offended and almost disgusted at what he stated so bluntly. "Nor do I have or wish to have a harem. I am simply doing what's best for the game, please try to understand that." Minaka sounded genuinely sincere as he spoke there was no deception in his voice or anything that would lead him to believe there was.

"So, you're doing what's best for the game?" The man questioned snorting lightly. "That's all?"

"Of course."

The man grumbled quietly as he contemplated his next set of options. He had three in total. Option one was start raising hell in the next second and level this tower to the ground with everyone inside of it, but that wouldn't be a wise choice. Option two was to run and get out of the city and away from this so called game that sounded more like date service than anything, but from the memories gathered from Azure that wouldn't be an option since MBI had the city closed off, or was aiming to do that. It wouldn't be hard to get out but the collateral damage and deaths would spring unnecessary attention. Option three was to participate in this game and wing a Sekirei or multiple Sekirei and start causing a little bit of mayhem in this game. It wasn't hard to choose. "Minaka, you're one crazy son of a bitch."

"So we have an agreement?" The excitement was palpable from his voice as he asked the question followed by several others he couldn't quite understand.

"Sure, why not?" The man answered . "Now how do I get out of this damned place I smell like the backside of a horse's ass?" He asked incredulously as the stench drifted up into his nostrils causing him to wrinkle them in disgust. Just what was that horrible stench?

"There are soldiers coming to greet you as we speak." Minaka replied his voice holding a mysterious tone to it but still remained the same booming cheerful annoyance. "At the end of the trail is the exit! Have fun!"

"Oh and one more thing! Wing as many Sekirei as you can it'll increase your chances of winning!"

The man held back a groan as his ears perked up the rumbling of footsteps heading right for him. His eyes traced from left to right taking in the long and massive hallway with windows going down the entire length, he estimated they were about three floors up from where he was, while another group was coming up the opposite direction. _Minaka really is nuts... _He thought to himself as he sprinted forward flexing his arms out to either side, slowly twin blades began to form on either arm progressing from just a stubble, to a large cleaver gleaming violently from the sun light penetrating through the windows. _But no skin off my bones..._

* * *

"Minaka!" Takami launched her clipboard across the room aiming right for his forehead. He whirled around with a grin on his face just as it neared him, it connected perfectly knocking him back and out of his chair. He moaned painfully as he brought a hand up to the spot that would no doubt begin to bruise, a small price to pay. "What have you done!?"

"I've made the game more interesting," he boasted jovially as he stood to his feet, setting his chair upright and taking a seat. He really needed to watch Takami and that flying clipboard, _a happuri right away. _He thought with a grimace as the spot throbbed unpleasantly. Well, not every decision would be agreeable with Takami. "Just wait."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Takami looked at the screen but diverted her eyes right away as the scene became too much to watch. "Releasing a killer like that..." She sighed audibly pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to fight off the oncoming migraine, dealing with Minaka was like pulling teeth, no worse. He always had a few screws loose even before they discovered the ship, but times like this were all too common and she wondered just how far off the deep end he was willing to go.

Well, at least she was the second power behind Minaka, and could control the game to some extent.

"Of course I know." Minaka said as if it were obvious looking at her with a deadpan expression slowly grinning. "Sit back and watch."

* * *

Disuke was an above average guy who couldn't hold a relationship mor than two months. He grew up in a small town, it was one of those things where everybody knew everyone and their neighbors. He had a typical childhood spending most of his time playing sports and the other half studying. He wasn't the best student, but he got by with nothing lower than a B+ through from K-5 all the way through high school, he guessed part of it was that he needed to keep his grades up in order to play on the team.

He played football and was on the varsity team and quickly became a pivotal figure on the team. That was when he was younger however, after he was enlisted for some secret mission on a strange island sports were just a fond past time. He was only twenty four when he landed on Kamikura, after the debriefing he was scared. Terrified enough to want to soil his pants, he was walking into a massacre with no chance of winning or escape. Luckily he managed to hang on if by a thread and survived, the nightmares still haunted him watching his comrades die, their blood spraying through the air from their necks as a sword sliced clean through them.

Who would think he would work for the company that did so.

Although it was like a bad joke.

He panted, lungs burning, his breaths quick and sharp as panic and fear took grip of his being. He could smell the linger stench of blood, there was so much of it. He looked before him seeing the arms, heads, legs, and sliced torsos littering the ground. It was an too familiar sight and the nightmares flashed through his mind, one by one a dozen at a time his fellow soldiers were sliced and cut down to pieces, their blood gushing like geysers leaving trails as far as ten feet in each direction.

Loading his gun with a fresh clip he ran out from his cover post behind the wall. He fired the machine gun with laser precision aiming for the vital organs and weak points like the knee caps or wrists. He stepped forward with long strides continuing to fire a barrage of bullets. "Disuke I need cover fire!" Shouted a tall soldier his features covered by a mask.

"On it!" Disuke replied running forward passing by several of his men. The entire area was like something out of a horror film where the forces split up and were all killed mercilessly. The mistake was always splitting up in those films. Guns blazed ringing his ears, and showers of debris clouded his vision as a grenade took down an entire wall like it wasn't feet thick and fortified.

He sprinted through the clouds of cement pressing ahead as he heard the faint cries of soldiers nearby. He was filled with trepidation as he continued forward he could only stare at the lifeless bodies around him, blood draining from their massive stab wounds and severed limbs, the life drained leaving their eyes dark gray orbs for those lucky enough to have a head in tact.

"Get back- GYYAAHHH!" Blood ripped through the air several feet in front of him splattering onto the wall rapidly descending in narrow smears. Bits and pieces of intestines, spleen, and liver with plastered to the wall and clinging to the ground.

"What the fuck is this!?" He exclaimed loudly. It was a cruel joke. He wondered why Minaka sent him up with hundreds of others, it could've been another meeting of sorts? While he wasn't directly involved with the director, said man usually held weekly meetings to discuss security measures. Disuke already got a bad feeling when Azure, an upstart who was by all means too cocky for his own good was called up to Minaka's office.

He was never seen again.

A squishing sound snapped him back to reality, raising his gun and squeezing the trigger without another thought he unloaded the deadly bullets. His nostrils scrunched as the smell of smoke, sulfur, and blood mixed together in a nasty cocktail of stenches, he ignored the pain in his stomach. He pushed forward moving on adrenaline, his heart thumped in his chest, his eyes flickering over his surroundings. He caught the sight of a muscular man striding forward, twin blades of some substance he'd never seen before in his life were stretching down the length of his forearms, stretching for a several feet beyond his calloused hands. "What do we have here?" He shuddered unconsciously, the voice sending a chill down Disuke's spine, it was cold, dark. It promised a swift and painful death.

"Another insignificant pest." The man strode forward making no move to protect himself, the blazing shells rifled towards him. They were like bug bites, his wounds sealing themselves closed as fast as they they pierced.

Disuke audibly gulped as he finally ran out of bullets, even worse the man wasn't even fazed. All of this firepower and it wasn't having any effect at all! He clenched the gun tightly in frustration whipping it forward. Faster than his eyes could follow, the man swiped his right arm through the air in a low diagonal arc slicing the weapon in half, Disuke gaped in shock his machine gun, the only thing he took care of, his prized weapon that he maintained on the daily basis was turned to nothing. "Damn you..." He growled feeling hatred bubble through him. "Damn you... Damn bastard!" He roared in fury, he kept his head high glaring contemptuously at the imposing figure.

He lashed out with a fist, bit the man caught it with no effort keeping his eyes locked on Disuke. "Grrr.. Hggrrrhh..." Disuke grunted in pain as he felt his bones buckle on the brink of breaking, he tried to pull away but a hot pain overtook his entire body and nearly brought him to his knees, if it wasn't for his discipline and military background he would've collapsed.

"Die." Was the cold and simple response. Disuke watched in pained anguish and horror, he cried out in agony, blood gushing out of his mouth. The man swiped faster than he could track, the blade made a clean cut into his midsection, carving clean through it and severing his spinal cord. He collapsed to the floor shocked and numb. His eyes dimmed as he watched a pool of blood steadily flowing in with the others around him. He focused, trying to move his limbs but he couldn't do anything, he painfully glanced to the side. _Are those my legs?_ He watched the man carve through three others as darkness swallowed him whole and he only felt numb.

* * *

Minaka reclined back in his over sized chair a mysterious look on his face as his gaze never faltered through the entirety of what was turning out to be a massacre. He shook his head a few times, Takami had left after punching him across the jaw, he could tell she was shaken, but that was just how she was. She always had a bad temper, but now he could only laugh at her actions, she was afraid.

He could see it in her eyes.

But she'd find some way to try and tame things to a tolerable degree. After all the thought of a killer running loose in Shinto Teito was a daunting one, her concern for _their _children was the top priority. He grimaced recalling the events of when she found out Minato and Yukari both winged Sekirei. He rejoiced explaining to her what it meant, but she wasn't trying to hear any of it. He knew she had a temper, but he didn't want to suffer a broken arm and hand again.

"Worth it." He said out loud as he turned away from the screen resting his elbows on the desk. Takami was easy to deal with putting the clipboard and her anger issues aside, she'd fall in line and do what he asked. Whether she had her input or not, which she did anyway, she was going to follow his orders. "Secretary!" He said in a boisterous tone as he pressed a button to the intercom.

"Yes Minaka-san?" Came the curt response although it sounded weary. One could only imagine what the strange man requested.

"I need one dozen white capes!" He exclaimed cheerfully.

There was a pregnant pause. "Right away, but... Why if I may ask?" Was the dumbfounded response.

"Don't worry about _why_." Minaka said with a laugh as he waved off her question. Usually, Jun, his secretary was quiet and composed. She worked diligently and did as he asked without question, although sometimes she did question his sanity. It was more of a daily occurrence now, she wished she could say she was use to it, but she wasn't. "Send them up, promptly!"

"Yes, sir."

He could only shake with anticipation. The Plan was going to move in rapid strides, it had been a bit slow lately, with the Sekirei winging and all. This is what he needed, the push the game needed. He turned to the screen one last time grinning, the light from the windows beaming off of his lenses. "Who will be at the top?"

* * *

Not much to say here. Thanks to those who reviewed, followed, favorited, you know all that Jazz. I will make sure to PM you because it'll help a lot.


	4. Chapter 4

He quickly grew bored of cutting down these imbeciles who called themselves trained soldiers. He seen rookies in Blackwatch that had more grit than these morons, at least those in Blackwatch could meet their mark with a gun, these twits were emptying entire cases not even connecting with his body. He thought of consuming them, it was a feast fit for a king but he chose not to. They wouldn't increase his strength by that much, and they were insignificant at best sent by their boss who didn't have a heart. Consuming them wouldn't further anything he had in mind, they'd slow him down and that he couldn't let happen.

He busted through the window of the thirtieth floor rocketing towards the ground like a homing missile. He wasn't worried about his speed, or the landing, he'd absorb the shock fine while causing mass damage to his surroundings. But he'd rather avoid any detection for now at least it was in his benefit. The man tensed his hand, a black substance began to coat his entire arm, squirming and wiggling upwards like veins. With a quick flick his left arm extended well over three hundred feet his clawed hand ripping into the side of a building several yards away, fast on his feet he retracted his arm heading towards his target.

Landing on the gravel rooftop with a small boom he hardly noticed the small crater and brush of debris he left in his wake as he eyed his surroundings. It was well into the night, the stars shone brightly and the sky was covered in a deep navy blue. He focused slightly, slowly the substance coating his arms retreated back into his skin slithering through his pores until his arms were normal no longer covered or clawed. _Now then... _He walked over the gravel rooftop every so often there was a cracking sound as his foot meant a rock or piece of debris crushing it. He put his right leg on the ledge draping an arm over his knee as he looked down at the bustling city with a small scowl.

Hundreds of people went about their night completely oblivious to the threat that loomed just over a hundred feet above. The streets were flashing with the neon signs of the clubs and bars that blasted music at volumes that would drive a senior citizen over the edge. It was quite the sight to see the city come alive in the dead of night, the noisy chatter of the ever growing crowd echoing as far up as he was. Like cows they were flocking together, several in drunken stupidity normally someone couldn't catch these nuances from where he stood, but his senses were honed to beyond superhuman levels thanks to the bio mass.

He didn't bother taking an in depth look of the city already he could see it was crowded from his high perch on the skyscraper. From what he gathered of Azure's memories, that moron. Shinto Teito was actually Tokyo Japan only just changed recently by that basket case Minaka, this must've been part of the game too? Renaming a city after what, five hundred some years this man's lunacy truly knew no bounds.

Ah, well he had more important things to do than worry about an overgrown child parading around in a grown man's body. He could hardly tolerate for the time he was speaking to him so casually, didn't the fool know people screamed in terror at the mere mentioning of his name? That he was feared throughout the world for being a killer, terrorist, a monster? A monster that could snap his spine in half without batting an eyelash. He watched the street level carefully, frozen like a statue. Like a lioness waiting for her prey, his eyes analyzed every feature and quirk of the person he laid his cold eyes on. He needed to consume someone, but not just a random person he wanted someone who was knowledgeable and knew there way around.

About twenty minutes later he zoned in on a young male with dark brown hair and matching eyes wearing a casual, still nice purple suit with a matching tie. Like a hawk he shot down towards his unsuspecting prey. The man was alone and heading off away from the crowds, this was perfect. He neared the ground flipping once and landing on his feet as silent as a cat several feet behind the young man who continued walking whistling a tune drunkenly to himself while snapping his fingers. He wasn't even aware of the monster that landed behind him.

He lunged forward, arm extended as the black substance poured out of his arm hardening itself in an instant taking the shape of a large blade about the size of a katana and twice as sharp. He cupped a hand over the man's mouth silencing his screams of terror, he quickly slipped into an alley giving his head a quick jerk hearing the satisfying pop of his neck breaking, next he stabbed the blade through his back releasing his hand from over his mouth.

The man gasped painfully as every nerve receptor in his body felt like it was on fire with hot pain. His body began to tremble before convulsing completely as his nervous system went on the brink from his neck being broken. He tensed as the burning pain came back ten thousand fold, a black ooze he had no idea existed slowly worked its way over his body covering every inch of it starting from the gaping wound in his torso. Finally, the ooze hardened for a brief second before flowing back into the bladed man's body. He clutched at his head as a deep pain made it throb.

_"Hey Kai!"__ A tall man shouted jovially downing a shot of what appeared to be Vodka, he slammed the shot glass down after the exclamation.  
_

_"Yo..." Kai, who he gathered was the man he consumed responded in a chipper tone downing his own shot although this was a darker liquor. It was anyone's guess, Tequila, Jack Daniels, Bourbon, Hennesy. He slammed the glass down leaning over on the table._

_"Would you check out her? Fine thing isn't she?" The man said as he nodded to a raven haired woman sitting alone at the end of the table cruising through a mug of beer like it was water. "She can drink something up to, my type of lady." He grinned toothily, the simple movement almost causing him to fall out of his stool. _

_"I've never seen a woman like that." Kai agreed in a cheerful tone, downing another shot as he finished his statement. He took some time to look over her and her outfit with an appraising eye. She had raven hair kept in a low ponytail, matching eyes, and cherry red lips. She wore a purple chinese dress with four slits going up the middle of her torso showing off her toned stomach and giant breasts the out barely maintained any of her modesty. She wore a pair of matching heels, but they were kicked off at the moment her feet resting on the stool. "Check out her clothes, where is she from?"_

_"I don't know but I'm going to get a piece of her." The man beside Kai slurred as he moved to stand up but quickly changed his mind after a dizzy spell hit full force. "You see her feet? I always had a foot fetish."_

_"That's too much info you jackass." Kai said in a blunt manner as he looked at the woman, who was looking at him with slight curiosity. He seen something in her eyes, he wasn't sure what but he turned away his instincts telling him to shut up and turn away._

_"Katsu keep your damn vulgarity to yourself you overgrown swine." The bartender quipped as he heard enough of the middle aged man's ridiculous speech. He looked at the buxom woman for a moment before turning back to Katsu. "You're lucky if she'd notice you anyways. You look like the backside of a cow's ass."_

He brought a hand to his temples massaging them until the pain dwindled away. That was the only drawback to consuming, the memories came in a flash and his head throbbed like he had ten thousand migraines going on at once and he was looking into the sun. He was barely able to deal with the ridiculous conversation between the two drunk men, but when he seen that woman he put his focus onto her. There was something about her that was different, stronger, he could feel it before the memories ended as quickly as they started.

Minaka did mention Sekirei, what he assumed to be birds at first. Could that woman be a Sekirei? He had seen a lot of women in his lifetime and though some came close to that figure that the two morons were drooling over they didn't meet the mark. Her breasts were every man's dream, her stomach was toned and perfect, her legs long and compact. Unfortunately the moron didn't know if she was a Sekirei or not, other then wanting to get in her bed he thought nothing of her. It didn't matter now anyway, she was gone and he wasn't going to look for her, there were more important things to do.

The shaggy haired man bent his knees, his powerful hips exploding with unimaginable power launching him high into the sky. He cleared several buildings in one bound, repeating the process once he landed, it was almost like he was gliding through the skyline, many people didn't see him as they were too busy partying since it was a Friday night.

* * *

It was the usual hectic day at Izumo Inn in the northern sector of Shinto Teito where no one dared to go or claim the territory as their own. Minato; a second year ronin and by all accounts a spineless, indecisive, and insecure nineteen year old sat in silent nervousness as he watched his two most vocal Sekirei banter with each other. He still wondered how he had such lovely women fighting for his affection he was just an average guy; he had black messy hair that went just passed his ears, gray-blue eyes that were soft to look at, his usual denim jacket was discarded at the moment as well as his long sleeve white shirt, instead a plain white T-shirt was what he wore with the same blue jeans.

"You may have won this time Musubi, but thee won't win again!"

"You're on Tsukiumi!"

Musubi was buxom girl with fair skin and chocolate brown eyes that held a mysterious light to them. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail reaching the middle of her back, her bangs fell just above her eyebrows and one solitary strand of hair poked from the top of her skull. Any guy would kill to spend a second with her and would instantly be attracted to her figure, her breasts were at least a 42D and her butt was perfectly toned and shaped. She wasn't wearing her usual shrine maiden outfit, that no normal maiden would dare to wear in public.

Tsukiumi was a busty girl with a more than fair skin complexion with deep blue eyes that held a certain fire to them. Her long blonde hair hung in curls reaching the back of her legs, her bangs fell just above her eyes, and the sides curled as well reaching her waist. She had a slightly smaller figure than Musubi but it was still impressive by any standards, her breasts were at least a 38C being full and perfectly shaped, her butt was perfectly shaped and her legs were perfectly sculpted showing grace and power. She wasn't wearing her usual frilly dress that constantly flashed her panties, that she had no shame to wear in public.

They traded their battle outfits for maid outfits as they competed on who could complete their chores first. Of course, Musubi won like every competition that pitted Tsukiumi against her for the prized seat next to Minato during dinner. What was supposed to be a simple and fun way to get work done around the Inn was turning into a heated rivalry.

Minato gulped nervously as the argument intensified before him.

"If this were a test of skills then thee would've no chance!" Tsukiumi proclaimed.

"But a win is a win!" Musubi declared happily.

The water Sekirei inhaled sharply through her nostrils as she clenched her fist as tight as she could. She glowered at Musubi while the latter stared her down with equal fervor neither willing to give into the other. For Tsukiumi it was a matter of pride she wouldn't admit defeat to the child in an adult's body. For Musubi it was the spirit of competition between her and her older sister and she refused to lose.

"A-ah, Musubi-san, Tsukiumi..." Minato piped up stopping dead in his sentence as the two whirled around settling their intense gazes onto him. He resisted the urge to gape his mouth at how quickly they reacted.

"What!?" The two Sekirei exclaimed at the same time.

Chuckling nervously Minato tried to placate the situation the best he could. "W-well you two compete so much maybe you two could not compete for a while?" He shrunk down seeing fire burning in the brown and blue irises of Musubi and Tsukiumi as they both considered what he said. He thought he was going to get doused with water again, that wouldn't be fun in the least. Last thing he wanted was Miya popping out of nowhere like she did all the time at the worse times.

"And admit to defeat to this harlot?!" Tsukiumi crossed her arms under her breasts haughtily. "I think not! I will prove that I am the real wife and the rest of thee are concubines!"

"I am his wife too!" Musubi declared in her bubbly voice as she too closed the distance between herself and Minato. He struggled to avoid staring at their breasts, how was it hard to not just take a peek but he was raised better. He looked up at the two of them with a questionable gaze. "And I will not lose to Tsukiumi!" Musubi declared happily.

Lightning surged between the two super powered females. Minato was grasping at the straws, he wasn't sure how to control these two. Musubi was energetic and always so bubbly while Tsukiumi was possessive and competitive, the two didn't mix well and any time they were near each other _everything_ turned into a competition between them. He sighed quietly, thankful that Miya kept her rules in place. He couldn't imagine these two competing with sex, he'd be exhausted and passed out before the night ended.

Not to mention they'd argue, he did not want to her arguing while he was making love.

"Minato-san are you okay? You're cheeks are turning red again?" Musubi stopped her bantering turning her focus to Minato as she started to fuss over him. She stepped closer putting a hand to his forehead to check his temperature. "You're so warm..." Her eyes filled with worry.

"Get your hands off of him!" Tsukiumi demanded angrily as she strode forward grabbing her wrist and shoving it away before she too looked at Minato with slight worry. She wasn't as naive as Musubi was but even she couldn't draw a conclusion. She realized something looking herself over carefully then back at Minato the faintest of blushes on her cheeks. "Is thee to make love to me tonight?" She asked in a whisper so only he could hear.

"N-No!" He exclaimed with wide eyes making a break for the door. "Remember Miya-san's rules?!" He looked at the two of them with slightly wide eyes. What was stopping him from doing do? They did love him, and he loved them with equal passion and he'd like to make love to them one day start a family of his own. He shivered slightly he remembered the reason: Miya.

As he made his way down the hall he could hear the two of them start to banter again. He let out another quiet sigh, he wondered how long they'd argue like they did. It was an every day thing while he was relieved that they weren't clinging to him like lost sheep, he would rather have that over the constant bantering. But maybe it wasn't so bad? Tsukiumi seemed to enjoy herself albeit she would lose fair and square and get mad.

He stopped in his stride glancing out the window towards the skyscrapers. He could've sworn her felt a chill that made him shudder and want to crawl into a ball and just hide. It was almost exactly how he felt when Miya brought out her hannya masks, but this was more intense, way more intense. He stood motionless gazing out the window, eyes searching the peaks of the buildings in the far distance for a sign of someone or something the reason for this chill that emanated through him. Heaving a breath he continued walking towards the stairs to enter the main foyer downstairs.

Maybe it was Miya again? It was much more comforting than thinking of another person that can induce that feeling was at this very moment running around the city. He closed his eyes laughing lightly as he nodded to himself that had to be the case.

* * *

"You've gone too far this time!" Takami paced back and forth viciously as she contemplated what just happened in the span of sixteen hours. She didn't bother looking at Minaka, he would have that same insane grin that made her blood boil and her short tolerance snap as if it never even existed. She thought about her children who were now a part of this game, and that... Monster could be a step away from hacking them to pieces.

In the span of sixteen hours they lost four hundred good soldiers and dozens of walls and windows were completely destroyed the wreckage littering the inside of the long and spacious hallways. She didn't dare step on any floor where she watched the mayhem ensue, all of those soldiers were just cut into ribbons. She couldn't keep her bored, impassive face up, less than halfway through she couldn't help but feel fear and disgust. The cleaning crews were still picking up the pieces of brain, heart, spleen, intestines, and limbs.

"You have no idea what you unleashed upon the city!" She rose her voice stopping on a dime in front of the desk. "Who!? No what is he!?"

Minaka contained his laughter as he listened to her throw another tirade. He didn't want a clipboard to come flying from her hand before he got his happuri that would promptly cut that to an end, on some level he could reason with her. He watched in silence as his soldiers were cut in halves and some into pieces, his stomach turned and twisted at many of the more gruesome moments. But his excitement overrode his fear, this was great. No fantastic, and yet Takami couldn't see it. "Have faith, Takami." He turned to look at her. "Do you really think I'd unleash something like him without a back up plan? Without insurance?" He shook his head making a 'tsk' sound as if he was lecturing a child. "I assure you, I have everything under control."

"I find that incredibly hard to believe. Those bullets had no effect on him what so ever he just brushed them off. Some sickly ooze was filling the wounds and trailing down his arms until it turned into the giant blades that cut down our men." Takami couldn't stress it enough, conventional weapons had no effect on the man who she had no idea existed, she didn't even know his name. Her scientific mind tried to solve the puzzle of just what that ooze was and how it turned into blades that made Karasuba's nodachi look like a toy. "And, you have the nerve to not inform of me of that monster!" She struggled through gritted teeth, "I wasn't informed of him. How long has he been here Minaka? Two years, a month, a week?"

"I find your lack of faith... Disturbing." Minaka slammed his hands on the desk before him knocking the stacks of paper all over the place from the gust of wind. "The _nerve_, Takami-kun I don't need to inform you of everything. I am the Game Master, I make the rules I'm in control. You just follow my orders and meet my demands." He could understand to some degree her reaction, and he'd be the same if he didn't take extra measures to ensure his overall safety. "In time you will get the answers you desire, but for now you will do as I say."

"Minaka!"

"Don't push my tolerance dear Takami. Go back to your duties of _my _research department and await further orders from me. If I don't call continue on with your work."

Anger. Takami could feel her cheeks heating up as her fists clenched themselves whitening her knuckles in the process. Who did he think he was to talk to her like that? Without her MBI, the Sekirei Plan it'd all be nonexistent if it wasn't for her assistance in the twisted dream. But, he was her _boss _and could easily have her stuffed into a box and put at the bottom of the ocean if he pleased, and Karasuba wouldn't hesitate in assisting the lunatic in her demise.

For that reason she exited briskly muttering a string of curses as she slammed the door shut hard enough to knock it off its hinges.

"How pesky." Minaka shook his head in disbelief as he pressed the button to his intercom. "Jun-san?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Bring up a repair man for my door and make it snappy."

"Right away."

Minaka released the button leaning back in his over sized leather spinning chair. He wasn't expecting her to slam the door _that _hard but it was better than a clipboard leaving a bruise on his forehead. But now his private domain could be easily accessed by anyone and he just couldn't have that.

* * *

He familiarized himself with all of the abilities granted by the bio mass. Like every time he called on it and focused as the ooze began to snake around his arms covering them completely in a mass of hard tissue it felt like his blood was on fire. It was something he could only relate to joy, euphoric even. With each passing second he could feel his strength returning, his body growing becoming stronger than before.

Kai was a great booster, even if he wasn't much his bio matter gave him a spurt of energy that would last long enough. He went about scouting the city leaping from the rooftops and speeding through the dark alleys in the shadier neighborhoods. The damn clock tower was a constant reminder that he was being watched, it towered arrogantly over the rest of the buildings even the skyscrapers that housed thousands on a daily basis couldn't compare to the tower. Every where he explored the clock tower was looming in the distance like a silent omen.

That made him mad for several reasons. He didn't like to think of his past, especially his childhood. But one thing stuck from an early age: He hated people standing over him. The clock tower was doing just that towering over him as if to mock him in his efforts to find some place that the looming building couldn't overshadow. But, unfortunately that wasn't possible and that made him all the more angry. But, he gathered it was a double edge, he could see the tower from anywhere, any angle, any story, any distance.

He found himself in an old warehouse near the docks in the western sector of the city. It was completely empty save for empty shelves that collected dust and rodents and bugs crawling around in the dead of night. A fence was housed around the entire area to block off anyone that decided to take a stroll into the empty building; the fence was like butter to his blade as he swiped through it with a simple flick of wrist.

He was sorely disappointed in what he found inside. He wasn't expecting it to be empty like it was, usually he'd perform a quick clean up and sweep away any pests that were around. But there were no pests when he kicked the rusted door down, while it disappointed him, it saved him the trouble of wasting his energy on ants that would be better crushed under his foot. There was a foul odor permeating through the entire construct that was a mix of mold, dung, piss, and rat crap, this just wouldn't do for his future plans and his living preferences. He was not going to live in an infested filth ridden place such as this.

He decided to go to the roof taking in the fresh air instead of the foul odors. First thing was first he needed to clean this place up, get rid of everything that wasn't beneficial, and bring things in that were beneficial. The second thing was to begin scouting these Sekirei that basket case Minaka constantly crowed about before he made his departure leaving behind a warning and present, but he wasn't exactly human. Not anymore. Rising from his solitary post looking over the docks he focused his obsidian eyes on the horizon, he would search for the one called 'Ashikabi' and consume him so he had the genes necessary to wing a Sekirei. Afterwards he would begin assimilating a small army at this post.

He smirked slightly tensing his muscular arms for a moment, black ooze began to spill out of his pores as if it was his own blood coating his arms and hardening into a dense and durable tissue, while morphing his hands into large black-gray talons that were the size of katana making the former look like a kitchen knife in size and sharpness. Just as quickly the ooze began to move back into his body through his pores returning his arms to normal and their slightly tan complexion.

He'd rest now. Tomorrow he was going out hunting.

* * *

Takami was furious, she made it back to her own quarters in record time. She didn't bother taking the elevator she had to think things over, up until now everything was going as smoothly as it could go. Her son and daughter were safe despite being dragged into this game, and the Sekirei were as safe as they could be in the middle of a competition.

Minaka was extremely vague in his statements before she stormed out of his office muttering curses. That was unusual, normally he'd be shouting his plans to the entire world from the edge of this tower. Instead he was almost secretive in the way he spoke and that unsettled her more than she would like to admit.

Insurance? Even she was aware that whoever that man was could rip any military apart on his own without any assistance. Conventional weapons had no effect what so ever on the monster. Perhaps a bomb would do the trick, but she wouldn't resort to that not while her son and daughter still breathed air and lived in Teito. She couldn't win this internal war with Minaka through force, instead she'd need an alternative.

So she found herself on her computer late into the night, cigarette in her mouth as she exhaled a stream of smoke as her eyes narrowed in on several interesting things that could shed light on the mystery and monster that rampaged through the tower killing with no remorse. Credibility was always an issue in matters like this, someone always had something to say and it was with a different twist on it.

"This is going to be a long night..." Takami sighed as she flashed her fingers across the keyboard looking for anything that could shed light on this. The more she knew the better off she, her children, and the Sekirei were.

* * *

Another chapter finished! I'll warn you now I do author notes a lot, I make it a point to do them. Someone is always confused or wondering about something and don't ask so I address it the notes.

On a side note anybody see the new episode of Naruto? The ten tails in finally here after all the mind numbing, stupid filler that we had to suffer through!


	5. Chapter 5

Finding an 'Ashikabi' to consume was very troublesome. He didn't have any idea where to even begin his search. He could roam the city aimlessly but that would only be a waste of time, time that was better spent on furthering his own agenda. He was searching for the better part of six hours, until the sun began it's ascension and blanketed the sky in reds and oranges, simply put it was a waste of time. He retreated back to the dock bay in the western sector to his filth ridden warehouse that he reluctantly called his base of operations for the moment.

He didn't have to clean up messes such as this, before that's why he had people to deal with these small things, and if the said no he made these people do it. And if they declined he forced them with a simple thought he'd form his blade and level it with their neck. It was always a sure way to get some imbecile who didn't know his place to listen. Looking around slowly as he swatted the shelves away to the other side of the room where they meant the wall with a loud bag crumbling down to pieces of what they used to be, he felt like he was out of place, this s not what he did. But he sucked it up the best he could destroying everything within his eye sight leaving the dingy warehouse empty aside from the scattered remains of the shelves he demolished and craters he created from his irate stomp.

The warehouse was much cleaner than before, though it was still a long shot of a base it was a good starting point to build on; the dust that hung in thick cobwebs was now gone revealing that there were lights on the ceiling, if he had to guess they were fluorescent and a earlier model judging by their shape and appearance, although the age of the building itself didn't do them any favors. They would suffice his needs for now, they didn't burn off a lot of heat and were highly concentrated where other bulbs failed in the potency of their 'rays' upon further investigation he found that this was actually connected to a smaller warehouse that was at the end of the docks themselves and was incredibly spacious, it could house easily two thousand people comfortably. He wasn't going to have two thousand people in his base of operations not even half of that number. The smaller warehouse was used to store, stock, and document the ferrymen who brought in fresh fish and other assortments of marine life for produce. it doubled as a work place, but like the larger warehouse it was in horrible condition and had an awful stench. Unlike the larger warehouse there was a lot of wear and tear on the interior and exterior from years enduring the elements and animals seeking refuge from said elements.

The smaller warehouse was going to take time to clean and refurbish to be adequate to his living standards; although he was in fact a living virus he did like his living quarters clean. That doubled when it came to his base of operations, everything had to be perfect and crisp, he wasn't going to accept anything less. It was going to be a project that required close attention to detail he couldn't smash the trash into the wall since they were more brittle and there was water damage on pretty much everything surrounding him. He needed someone else to take care of this so he could move forward in his plan, playing janitor in a small warehouse wasn't on his list of things to do and swiping the blade angrily through the mess wasn't an option since there was barely anything holding this place up.

It was early morning when he stepped out of the warehouse with a small irritated scowl, he went over several things through the night and put a plan of action in course. First he needed to find an Ashikabi and consume that individual, then he could wing a Sekirei and begin to build a small army. It was easier said than done, finding an Ashikabi among six million or more people was like trying to find a needle in a hay stack even with his acute and sensitive five senses it was a troubling task. Everyone had a similar flow of energy running through their body, there were small things that set them apart but they were too similar. It wasn't enough to pick them out of the gathering crowds, was that fool Minaka just toying with him? No he couldn't be the man seemed sincere in his nagging to wing the Sekirei.

He renewed his search taking to the streets rather than the rooftops to begin the search for his prey, if he was going to discover the one called Ashikabi he would need to start here. Searching from the rooftops was a mistake while he covered a lot of ground he couldn't zone in on anything particular and the simple fact no normal person was leaping on the rooftops as he was, so he backtracked from last night and roamed aimlessly through the city.

He was more than certain that eventually someone would pop out and catch his eye. These Ashikabi had to be special in some way or another in order to wing these Sekirei who had the power to break them with a single finger, this whole thing made no sense and seemed like a waste of time but he was bent on winging a Sekirei and once he set his mind on a goal he'd do anything to achieve that goal. But, Ashikabi were human and so they would blend in among the others and be nil impossible to find in this city. But he continued his roaming looking like a normal citizen who was just strolling through taking in the sights, when in reality he could care less.

It felt like hours passed by and he thought he was walking around in circles everything blended in with each other after a while, there was the occasional building or place that caught his eye but it was rare occurrence at this point, and more often annoyed him greatly than anything. It only got worse as he found no Ashikabi, no Sekirei in his aimless roaming and his already very short temper got shorter. How he wanted to just unleash thousands of tendrils, watching the rip through these ignorant buffoons around him and block out their painful cries, but he was on a mission and wasn't going to be deterred even if he was mad enough to smash a hole through one of the buildings around him he stayed focused.

He hardly noticed an odd couple several feet in front of him too wrapped up in his own thoughts. At the last moment he noticed them, letting out an irritated growl he bumped his shoulder with the man's knocking him out of the way while shoving the girl aside with a light push. "What's where you're walking!" He snarled.

"Fuck you, who do you think you are?" The man shouted standing to his feet as he walked towards the shaggy haired man the girl hot on his heels.

"I am your worse nightmare come to life." The man answered in a dark tone. "You talk like that to me one more time and I'll rip your tongue out and proceed to break every bone in your puny body!"

He glanced behind him coming to a halt instantly as he took in the odd couple that was trailing him. He was hardly amused at the sight he had the honor to behold. The man was in his early twenties with short dark brown hair that spiked up, he had matching eyes that were sharp and filled with malice. His attire wasn't anything fancy, he wore a dark green overhead with the hood down, dark brown khakis, and a pair of brown shoes to finish the outfit. He wore a grin that said 'your ass is mine'.

The woman was dressed strangely. She was fair skinned, almost completely pale and had light brown hair that reached passed her ears stopping at the top of her shoulders, her bangs were spiked and fell over her forehead in small tufts. She wore a tight fitting blue and white shirt that was cut open at the top revealing a small portion of her cleavage, she wore a matching skirt except it was dark blue, her outfit was finished off with black stockings that went all the way up her lithe legs covered by white boots that went just above the middle of her thigh, she had matching arm sleeves that stopped at the top of her bicep, she had a black collar around her neck and a blue hair band. She had gray doe eyes. She dragged a blue hammer with white trimmings around the head of ridiculous proportions behind her. She stood at about five foot one maybe five foot and a half around that range. Her measurements were B85/W55/H86.

Now he was amused, just who the hell were these two to walk up on him? They had a death wish and he'd gladly oblige the man annoyed him already and this woman was stupid to follow behind him like a shadow. "I didn't know the circus was offering auditions for the bumbling buffoon and his school girl cohort."

"Hehe, you talk tough now asshole. You don't even know who I am!" The sweater clad man said in a mocking tone that just oozed a sense of superiority. Well, that sealed it he was a dead man and if this girl had any sense of preservation she'd tuck her tail in and run away with her hammer.

"I don't need to. You're a impudent moron exiled by the rest of society because you're class A fuck up. You have no friends, your family wants nothing to do with you, all of your girlfriends wised up and dumped kicked you to the curb, you mooch off of others because you have a second grade education and can hardly tie your shoes." Judging from the way the man before him began to shake he knew he hit the mark on all accounts.

"You bastard!" He roared with fury in his eyes as he stomped forward more than ready to teach this moron a lesson. "I am the great Junichi Tanigawa you better take that back or I'll really lay a beat down on you."

"Is that right? You and the little girl?" He snorted. "Listen, I'm feeling a little more generous today if you leave now I won't make you scream for mercy like a prepubescent girl.

"Yashima!" Junichi snapped, anger flooding his voice. The young girl rushed to his side with a fearful yet obedient expression in her doe eyes, she looked up at him awaiting his order and staying silent afraid to agitate him any further, she just recovered from the last beating she didn't want to recover from the inflicted wounds coupled with the ones she was to get from this fight. "I want you to smash this asshole into the ground!" He pointed his finger. "Turn him to mush!"

"I thought I told you if you speak to me like that again I'll rip your tongue out." He was already mad, but this filth was getting under his skin. "I'm not going to warn you a second time..."

"Warning?! I don't care about your warnings! I'm not scared of you not while I have Yashima by my side! Now Yashima!" Junichi ordered.

"Y-Yes Junichi-sama." She answered meekly grasping the shaft of her hammer with both hands bringing it to the ground at her side at the ready. She didn't care about the way he spoke to her at that moment, all she cared about was that she could make him happy by hurting this man. "Number 84 Yashima, moving in!" She shouted with a hint of confidence as she charged forward pulling her hammer above her head.

"Have the girl fight your battles, you're pure trash." He was surprised at how fast Yashima was despite holding the massive hammer in both hands. She closed the gap between them in a matter of seconds swinging the hammer from the side, mini shock waves exploded around the head as it ripped a path towards him. At the very last moment he leaped back with great dexterity avoiding the attack completely, the hammer crash into a cement wall causing a loud explosion. But, Yashima was quick on her feet and lunged forward with a small cry as she swung the large weapon again only for the man to lean back evading the attack and distancing himself again.

"Number 84? I wonder what that was about?" He had no time to ponder on it as Yashima was swinging her hammer again in a sweeping arc to take full advantage of the momentum from her lunge, her eyes filled with determination. He simply watched her descend upon him the massive warhead rocketing at him miles per second, he snapped her fist out meeting the hammer halfway.

The impact was monstrous, fist smashed with durable steel. Gale force winds swept around them ripping the cement into pieces leaving jagged scars. Where the two stood the ground rattled violently, cracks surging around them.

Yashima struggled to hide her shock as the man's fist smashed into her hammer. It took everything she had to push it back. She didn't want to fight him in the first place, but her Ashikabi told her to do it, and she'd do it even if she was against it. He was an imposing man, for a normal human. She turned on a dime leaping to the side to gain distance and regather her wits.

_He can't be... Human..._

_Not bad... But still..._"Is that all all you can do really?" The man walked towards her with a faint scowl, his obsidian eyes penetrating into her doe eyes, she felt a chill roll down her spine. She sprung forward, lifting the hammer over her head and swinging it down, the air distorted as the hammer made its course. The man dodged, again, Yashima in an act of dexterity slammed the head of the hammer into the cement, arching forward, and propelled herself forward in a front flip. She swung again this time faster and from her left side, as she expected he dodged jumping back, she gave chase swinging again. This went on for five minutes, it was fast and intense, Yashima pushing herself beyond her limits to keep pace with the man her hammer leaving a trail of shock waves in its wake.

Yashima turned on her heel, swinging the hammer upward aiming for the bottom of his chin. She'd have to end it now, if she wanted to survive. She was surprised that he could his own against her so easily, while she was panting he barely looked out of breath, and was still moving with grace and power evading her measured swings. The man snapped his left leg out, Yashima already committed to the attack could only widen her eyes as she stumbled forward knocked off balance. He took advantage, smashing a fist into her side knocking her back through the air.

She scraped across the tattered pavement painfully, finally rolling to a stop. She clutched at the sharp pain, panic set in when her lungs burned for oxygen, she gasped raggedly sucking in harshly.

"What are you doing laying there!?" Junichi stomped towards her with anger burning through his pores. She quickly climbed up to her feet, shakily balancing using her hammer for support. She could still fight, she just got the wind knocked out of her. "Hurry up and kill this guy already!"

"I'm trying Junichi-sama!" Yashima winced at her outburst. She braced herself for a hard smack that he usually gave her when she talked back. But it never came, but the harsh words stung just as much.

"Not trying hard enough! Hurry up!"

Yashima glanced at the man who looked on with disinterest. How could be be so calm, so composed when he was facing off against her, A sekirei? It made no sense, she shook her head pushing the thoughts aside and focusing on the objective. "Yes Junichi-sama." Yashima replied meekly as she launched herself forward with surprising speed, raising her hammer with the intent to smash him into a pulp. The man reacted with a blinding punch impacting with her weapon the collision cancelling the opposing force. She scrunched her eyes as a gust swept around them breaking away the debris that littered the street.

She swung her hammer relentlessly with all of her strength, her tendons aching from the tremendous strain, each attack was getting erratic and varied in speed. She wanted to please her master, and if this was a way to do it then so be it.

She had a shred of hope that he actually felt something for her. The same way she felt for him, how she wanted to. She never imagined having an Ashikabi would be this painful, his words stung just as much as slaps, she remembered growing up. Having an Ashikabi was a dream come true, she thought every day about her destined one. He almost showed that he cared, despite his threats he'd never get rid of her. At first she thought it was because he actually felt something towards her, but it turned out it was just to use her and win this game, while providing him with a punching bag.

The man didn't dodge or evade this round, instead he retaliated with quick punches, keeping his hands normal. There was no need to even use the bio mass against this woman, her attacks were erratic and he already scouted her patterns. The hammer was good for one hit finishes, and could be used without strain for about ten minutes. Yashima showed great diversity and skill with her weapon, she was most unorthodox but it would be effective against anyone else, perhaps someone who couldn't read the subtle hints of an attack. Despite all of this there was a determination burning in gray does eyes.

The battle got even more intense, the two clashing blow for blow sending bursts of wind in every direction, leaving anything that got in the way, or it's trajectory to get cut jaggedly. Debris clattered and dissipated under the force of the impacts rocking the area.

"Hiiyyaahhh!" Yashima swung forward only to shudder in pain, her feet dug into the ground, wearing down the soles of her boots. She came to a stop, almost collapsing from fatigue.

"Is... This all you're capable of? Is this as far as your capacity goes, as far as it can take you?" The question was cold and harsh. There was no pity, sympathy behind the word, it was as if he was stating a fact. "She is unbelievably strong for a human.. I never knew a human was capable of such prowess in general, hell yet alone in combat. But, she is limited and inexperienced."

"I'll show you!" Yashima declared as her eyes flooded with moisture she tried to spring forward, grimacing at the cut on her knee twitched bleeding even more than before, that was a hard kick she went flying like a football.

"You are strong but lack focus." He stated slamming the back of his fist across her face spreading hot tears down her cheeks as the impact knocked her back several feet, splitting her gums like they were tissue paper. "Strength means nothing if you can't touch your opponent to inflict the damage, it means nothing if you're sloppy in your step telegraphing your next move ten miles away. Even if you are strong, that strength means nothing to an opponent that can move around you and strike."

Junichi shook with anger. This was taking entirely too long for his liking, this battle should have been over ten minutes ago. He had to admit, the man was pretty strong, but Yashima was stronger, she was a Sekirei. This shouldn't have been happening, he could only feel resentment as he walked up to her, she was so weak, why did she come to him? Couldn't she see that he only viewed her as a tool, a possession, his personal punching bag. "What are you doing!?"

She winced under his harsh stare. "I can't believe you have to use your Norito on this ass, who isn't even a Sekirei. This is ridiculous this next blow I better see his head fly over the horizon..." The words dripped with anger, hatred, and disdain, Yashima barely had time to control her urge to cry as her breast was squeezed harshly and she was pushed forward into a rough, passionless kiss.

Blue lotus wings flared from the back of her neck lighting up the street with a brilliant glow. He broke the kiss shoving her forward with no concern about her wounds, she gasped softly, breathless for a moment. It was always a rush to feel this power course through her waiting to be unleashed, even if the kiss was painful and had no passion, she could please her master through this means. And if she died doing so than she'd just accept that, it was her fate after all in a sense and she wasn't going to run from t.

_Norito... What could that possibly be? _The man narrowed his eyes slightly focusing on Yashima, he stared right into her eyes. He could see the fear shining in those doe gray eyes, she was scared, she didn't want to fight, she wanted to survive. It was down to this now, her last attack to try and finish the fight. Truthfully he wasn't even trying, Yashima's moves were predictable and she _always _telegraphed her move to some extent leaving him ample time to dodge or evade. But Norito caught his attention, that was something Minaka failed to mention. "So... You've been holding out on me this entire time? Here I thought you were going all out but you've been fighting with half of your power... Now then..."

He clenched his right hand into a fist, his veins bulged and rippled engorged with the biomass, they seemingly exploded the virus coating his entire arm in a black ooze, the living organism snaked across the entire length of his limb, slowly hardening into a fibrous tissue, a blade morphed into shape, stretching and compacting, it ran a length of six meters and curved with a spiked edges running down the top.

"The hammer of my pledge! Shatter the enemy of my Ashikabi!" As she chanted, her body oozed with power, blue crackles of energy lined her entire body, shining brightly as the same color of her wings, the hammer streamed with this same energy getting twice as big than before. Sound waves crackled, shattering remains of the street in a blitz like fashion. A loud clang pierced through the area, overshadowing the loud patter of debris, Yashima looked in abject shock.

Blade impacted with warhead, Yashima using every ounce of her augmented strength to swing the finishing blow, with this boost she could knock him all the way to the borders, just as she was about to close in with the devastating blow that would smash every bone in his body. It was almost too fast for her to see, but if she wasn't so experienced with her weapon she would've missed it, two halves of the once massive weapon slammed into the ground. "After all of that... The light show, the ridiculous chanting, that's the best you can do!?" He didn't even sound amused, his voice dripping with disappointment. "You're step is too weak, and you have no rhythm in your attacks you're a clumsy bull that has lost its bearings."

Faster than her eyes could follow, he sent his normal fist forward, slamming it into her gut. Yashima gurgled painfully, it sounded like a gurgle at least, her body bent with the blow as if it'd lessen the pain, her feet left the ground leaving behind a small blast of force that rippled outward, just as quick he cracked the back of his fist across her jaw sending her flying back his augmented strength propelling her like a rag doll, skidding painfully across the jagged cement, her cry of pain was cut off as blood rushed into her mouth.

For the first time, in a long time she was really hurt. She struggled to stand to her feet, her muscles screaming for her to stop, sweat poured from her forehead, her shirt was coated in a dark gray leaving someone to stare, she rose a hand wiping the blood from her lip shocked at how much coated her cut skin. Even on Junichi's worse day she wasn't this battered, her whole body ached, those two hits, the stomach one in particular almost made her black out, she felt as if his fist touched her spine and bulged from her back.

"Stay down." She grimaced slamming face first into the cement, a foot stomped harshly on her spine knocking the breath out of her lungs. Through the surging pain that now overtook her entire body she could faintly hear a hint of emotion in his voice, it wasn't pity, she couldn't quite place it. "I refuse to continue fighting you woman, there's no point to it. Especially if you're fighting for the sole purpose of that trash over there." He raised his foot, bringing it down with crushing force stopping her desperate attempt to stand up while pointing toward Junichi. "You'll never be strong, fighting for him. He's the reason you're so weak in the first place, you have to fight for yourself, that is the only way you'll get stronger. Fighting for the likes of him is unpalatable." He stomped again. "Do yourself a favor and just stay down, I've already refused to fight you any further, you're strong but careless. Force my hand and I will split you right down the middle."

Was that true? She actually thought about it, before it never came to mind. He was _her _Ashikabi, that's all that mattered. But, could it be true, he was the reason why she couldn't bring out her full potential. Was it their relationship, she knew every Sekirei was different, so would be their Ashikabi... "You better get off of her" His harsh voice jolted her back, she whirled her head around looking left and right, she noticed, the man was a few feet away from her Ashikabi.

"It's because of people like you, that innocence are twisted into demons of hatred. Because of filth like you the world has to suffer for your insolence and deficiency. Your kind is trash, always has been trash thinking of nothing but yourselves and desires. Primitive barbarians throwing feces at each other! " His voice was cold and held nothing but contempt. There was no verbal response to his statement, instead Junichi ran forward, the sound a blade locking rippled through the air, black ooze gushed from the exit, he felt.

"You talk too much." Junichi grinned with malice, sneering up at him. Thinking he had dealt the final blow, he always had his trusty knife on him. "Who do you think you are? You're just a nobody, some muscle bound jackass, I am Junichi Tanigawa! You haven't been chosen to compete in this game, you're a piece of trash-" He gaped, the blackish ooze trailing up his body towards the wound, moving and spiraling like veins in a body.

"That's all I needed to hear." A small smirk edged at the man's lip, Junichi could do nothing as his arm, and knife were swiftly yanked out, the man struck fast and hard, a shock wave cracked behind his flailing body propelling him to even greater speeds. The man appeared beside him thrusting his knee in the center of his gut forcing him to bite his tongue, blood sprayed through the air, Junichi now moving upward, screamed in agony as the world flipped and blackened for a narrow second.

Horror. She couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face, her Ashikabi was brutally beaten, she wanted to move to help him to ease his pain. She'd take the punishment for his sake, however it took all she had to just steady herself.

"Now then..." The man grabbed the back of his sweater, yanking him into the air getting another cry of pain, he struggled to move his limbs, pain flooded his entire system and overtook him but he wasn't going to die by some nobody!

"W-Wait!"

For the first time actual emotion shown on the man's face: Surprise. Yashima was now hobbling on her feet just barely standing much to his annoyance, she was a stubborn one or in this case very stupid, why was she that set on protecting this scum, this insignificant ant that needed to be squashed? She could hardly stand herself. "Why are you defending him after he hit you? Are you that foolish to defend him, he deserves to die." He was already going to consume him so it didn't matter what this inane girl had to say. "One less of his kind is no crime."

"P-Please don't!" Yashima cried out from several meters back, practically begging the man to spare Junichi just so she could survive if anything. Tears began to well in her eyes, flowing freely down her face as she struggled to stand once again, to his annoyance. "Please don't kill him! I-I need him...!

"Funny." He commented offhandedly, glaring at Junichi as he held him by his neck."I'd like to welcome you to other side I must say it's going to be extremely painful and unpleasant. For you anyway." The man snapped his arm out, faster than Junichi could follow grabbing his tongue. A blood curdling cry ripped through the area, and was silenced just as quickly with a sharp tug, his eyes widened in pain and terror, blood gushed from his mouth like a geyser spraying the walls nearby, the jagged concrete, the trash cans, and some even got on Yashima. Junichi froze his entire body tensing from mind numbing pain, pieces of bone flew behind him as the black blade completely tore through his mouth exiting out the back of his head and slicing at his spinal cord, black ooze wrapped around his lifeless body like a cocoon swirling back into the man's body as his bio matter was disintegrated in an instant. He felt the same throbbing headache he had before, and snippets flashed behind his eyes.

So, Junichi was a part of this game, and it seemed like there was _some _truth to what Minaka was rambling about. The Sekirei plan involved the 108 Sekirei, and they were to fight in the city, there was the possibility to wing even more Sekirei. There were also more unsavory individuals in this game, that viewed the Sekirei as nothing more than toys, prizes, tools, and possessions. Well, he wasn't a hero and sure as hell wasn't a martyr in any case, he had his own goals to fulfill. He also seen that every participant had to keep the Sekirei Plan a secret from those who weren't participating in the game and if they disobeyed MBI would retaliate and there's was a 'Discipline Squad'.

Anything about Junichi personally he tuned out, all he needed was information on the Sekirei, the structure of the game, and anything else that involved the latter two. He brought the heel of his hand to his forehead, the skull splitting headache finally going away; he brought his hand back down looking up towards the tower looming in the distance. "So, this is your plan?" The man pondered on how _simple _this entire thing was.

He turned his attention the girl, his mouth curling into a scowl. Yashima simply sat there, paralyzed it appeared she was completely unresponsive to anything around her. Her chest rose and fell, just barely as if it was a simple whisper. She made no move to stand up or even look up into his eyes, the killer of her Ashikabi, the man that jammed a blade through his mouth. He walked over to her with the silence of an assassin, he stood over her for about a minute, he realized that she was making no attempt to defend herself she was like a husk or in a vegetative state. He knelled down in front of her, obsidian eyes burrowing into the back of her head and body. "You have two choices. You can sit here and drown yourself in self pity and sorrow, and be a husk I'll put you out of your misery. Or stand up and be strong, stand on your own two feet."

Yashima, still was frozen for several seconds, completely un-moving and unresponsive, she looked as if she were a husk. Slowly she raised her head looking up to the man's face, tears stung her eyes as she kept her composure, just barely if that. She didn't have a fear of dying at this man's hands, it was a miracle she was still here realizing he could have done the exact same thing to her. But this wasn't the reason for the tears. For the first time since she was released... She could now have a better chance at life, than to remain alive, she hadn't the faintest idea what awaited her on the other side; darkness? Peace? Calmness and serenity? She didn't have a clue what would happen, but she didn't care... Anything would be better than living this harsh and abrasive life she had so far.

"I'm prepared to do so." She uttered pink eyed and lachrymose. He helped her stand up, she struggled to stand at first her knees shaking barely holding her weight, but she brought herself to stand position after a few long moments staring up into the coal eyes of the shaggy haired man. Looking into his dark orbs, she was more than capable to admit that she was frightened a bit they were cold and piercing, but she didn't allow the fear to grip her completely. She was ready for death's cold embrace waiting for him to thrust his calloused hands through her heart, ending her suffering.

The man looked at her with an impassive gaze. "As you choose." He said in a dull manner, but surprise carved into his sharp features. 'So this is that 'bonding' thing. Hmm, I suppose he wasn't a complete waste.' He thought to himself. 'And now I have a Sekirei, though she needs to be sharper there is a lot of potential.'

She gasped feeling a power surge through her body, it was strange, it felt euphoric as it filled every part of her body eagerly. Sky blue lotus wings flared out from her back bathing the area in a brilliant glow, her entire body was rigid as she felt indescribable heat. Veins slowly began to stream on each individual wing pulsing with vibrant energy, her sky blue lotus wings flared outwards almost hardening for a moment as the veins bulged for a moment showing an inky black ooze trace through them, as fast as it happened it ended. That's when Yashima felt her breath literally leave her lungs as she felt a pulse... It couldn't be right... She looked at the man who looked almost surprised from a gleam in his eyes as he stared into open space. It was there, just like before, she could feel the connection pulsing from her subconscious, slowly she raised her head looking at him with a stunned expression.

"W-What just happened...?" She asked in a nervous voice

"You're now my Sekirei." The man said bluntly as if he were discussing the weather or a news report. "Congratulations, woman."

Shock etched on her features as she stared up at the shaggy haired man as to the revelation that was just thrown at her. "What?! H-How I-I can't be...!?" What was said to be done was impossible, once the Sekirei and Ashikabi kissed they were stuck together, that much she knew. But he couldn't be lying, he _wasn't _lying about it. But how could this happen, it was _impossible _in every sense of the term. That was one thing she and all of her sisters could agree on.

"A curious one." The man said with a light chuckle smirking, he couldn't recall the last time he met someone quite like this, but she wasn't a human, she was a Sekirei. _His Sekirei. T_he man stared at her folding his muscular arms over his chest, sighing. "In layman's terms I consumed him, and his Ashikabi genes are now inside of me..."

"You're an... Ashikabi..." She couldn't hide the shock and astonishment from her body language all the way to the owl eyes she currently had only enhancing their doey look . _"My A-Ashikabi...!" _She felt like she was going to faint, this couldn't be possible, it wasn't happening. She looked at him, her wounds now gone thanks to burst of energy she just experienced, in fact she felt a lot better. She must be dreaming, she'd wake up tomorrow.

The man nodded as he turned to look at her, the shadows of his bangs covered up most of his face. "Correct."

* * *

She couldn't find out much about the man, like she figured Minaka had every locked away in his personal office, any and everything associated with him was classified and she doubted she'd see anything about him in great detail, however she did stumble on something that caught her attention.

Surprisingly it was an old science magazine from her younger days, she researched the company known as Gentek. It was founded by a man named Raymond McMullen on November 1st of the year 1976. He was en expert with genetics and their structures, he was quickly contacted to continue the viral biological weapons research. They specialized in genetic and biological research, and had the top scientists just not in the United States, but from the entire world working together. All of them were brilliant, but there were a few that stood out from the rest.

The security was tight, and like she figured any public knowledge was going to be a long affair of digging back into what some would consider 'archives' of the past. Her eyes widened for a moment, she recalled hearing of strange events that occurred in New York and several in Maine, there was another one that she couldn't remember at the moment. At the time she took them with a grain of salt, her practical scientific mind already deduced that what transpired was impossible, even if it was sort of strange virus; the things she heard sounded like something out a science fiction/horror flick with deformed people running around while mutants eat them, and there's the villain that caused it reveling in the mayhem.

Bags covered her eyes and her hair was messy at the sides, she had been doing in depth research for the last six eight hours, she was beginning to try and piece things together but she needed more information, more material so she continued digging. Minaka, the bastard he probably knew but he wouldn't say a thing to her about it, she'd have to find out on her own, and whether she liked it or not that meant reading dozens maybe even thousands of text walls of old newspapers, magazines, anything remotely associated with the media at that time. She hardly noticed the knock on the door, so in-raveled in her search. "Come in."

The soldier opened the door stepping in with a solemn expression. He stood at five foot eleven, tall for a man of Japanese descent and was more lean than anything. He had a clean shaven face, brown eyes, and messy dark brown hair that hung at his shoulders, she recalled her was one of the people that assisted in the more trivial tasks, she hardly saw him and when she did...

Minaka, for Kami knows why decided he wanted to see her!?

"What does he want now?" She snapped her voice cracking with irritation she she eyed the man with a small frown, he looked shocked for a moment before composing himself and bowing his head slightly in a show of politeness. She didn't have time to deal with his ramblings, she got no sleep and could use a coffee, and a cigarette, it had been a few hours since she last smoked, leaving her other pack in her private quarters. _I have no time to listen to him spout in self induced stupidity, this is far more important than anything he has to tell me! _

"He said he has a special announcement that he wants to tell you, in private."

She ran a hand through her light hair, sighing tiredly. Well she did need to wash up, and get something to eat, plus she had to check in with Homura and inform him of these current changes. She could only imagine how he'd react once he heard, Kami knows he wanted to shave a fireball right down his throat. "Alright." She relented after a few moments rising up from her chair nodding to the man to lead her to her destination. _Special announcement my ass._

* * *

I'd like to say Alex will be in this, how could he not be in this?


	6. Chapter 6

Is it me or has the Naruto manga really taken a fat horse shit? Seriously _how _did Naruto just magically poof up another eye for Kakashi!? There's so many different parts of the eye all extrmeley sensitive and delicate it just doesn't make sense to me... And the recent chapter with black Zetsu after it's long been established _he is _Madara's will, we seen the whole 'jutsu' in the filler, he just stabs Madara in the back 'literally' and says he's "Kagyua's" will all of the sudden? If that's not the dumbest, most ridiculous thing I've read and seen I'm not sure what it is... No wonder why people hate the whole thing anime and manga, can't blame them at this point.

* * *

Yashima kept a respectful distance, walking a few inches behind the tall and imposing man, she wanted to talk to him but chose against it something just told her to be quiet. So she was silent as she took in his visage, from behind he didn't look all that frightening his hair was shaggy and fell to the end of his shoulders and was onyx black just like those eyes. She could feel something... Dark looming over him like a cloud that suffocated everything that came into its grasp. How he moved told her that he was no stranger to combat, he didn't expend any more energy walking than what was needed and his steps were silent and measured, his strides calculated and perfect. She wondered where this man came from, at first she thought he was a Sekirei but no Sekirei had a black blade twice the length of a katana and twice the sharpness to go along with it, whatever ooze practically flooded out of his arms like blood wasn't normal, but it wasn't her place to voice that, at least not out loud.

"Hey," he spoke with a calm and deep voice that would mesmerize her and put her at complete ease if he wasn't a ruthless fighter. As such currently it jolted her from her thoughts of the recent events that just stormed her life without any regard. Yashima glanced up at the back of his head, momentarily losing her voice as her mind blanked out. "I haven't heard a whisper out of you for three hours,." He finished, she could only shiver slightly at that tone; he didn't care about what he did to Junichi and he'd do it again if someone crossed him without a second thought, she gulped down the lump in her throat preparing to answer.

"W-Well-"

"Speak up!"

"I don't have my master's name." She replied slightly nervous from the way he almost snapped out his retort. However, to her this explained everything she couldn't address him properly without knowing his name and kept quiet. Besides, she was experiencing a roller coaster of emotions from the day's events. While on one end she was lost and slightly hurt that the man her heart yearned for was no more, there was a silver of happiness deep inside that made her feel guilty. Was it wrong for her to feel happy being rid of that brute who smacked her around for no reason. "I can't properly address you if I don't know your name." She began to fiddle with her fingers, though he wasn't looking her in the eyes she could see those piercing obsidian eyes that pierced into her core, she felt naked completely vulnerable under that stare.

"I see, formalities" he said sounding calm but also like there was the million dollar question just answered. He was never one for introductions, he let his actions do the talking which involved slamming a tank through a three story building or cutting down those Blackwatch soldiers; he would never get tired of watching those vermin scream and beg for mercy just before he shoved his blade through their torso. Moreover he was never one for idle chit chat, he said what he had to say and that was it. If it wasn't important or meaningless he didn't speak it. This woman who was indeed a Sekirei had manners, unlike that filth that was her Ashikabi, well being courteous never hurt anyone. "It's rude to ask for one's name without presenting your own first." He turned back observing her.

Yashima suppressed the urge to blush at the last statement, well. He was right in that regard it was considered rude, from what she read and studied while her time at MBI to familiarize herself with the human world. She herself, spent a lot of time reading books about the cultures and mannerisms of humans, after all she wanted to be at her best when she met her Ashikabi, not be some ditzy girl who didn't know her ass from a hole in the ground, or a stuttering school girl. But now that she thought about it she did look like a school girl with her outfit, _and _she forgot her manners. But her master didn't seem to mind if anything there was mild amusement behind that impassive face though she couldn't see it. "I am Number 84, Yashima. The Hammer Sekirei." She said giving a small curtsy the best she could while walking, which looked more like stumbling but he took for what it was worth.

"You can call me Shou."

The two walked in silence again after that, which left Yashima slightly nervous as she observed him further. He didn't seem like a bad person but he wasn't good either, and didn't seem to have much patience. She figured she'd just stay quiet until he spoke to her first no need to upset him further. They took to the rooftops, which surprised Yashima that he jumped from ground level all the way up a six story building in one bound when it took her hopping from rooftops like an elevator, she was further amazed at how he leapt over each one effortlessly landing silently and continuing their trek the entire time his eyes were pointed forward as if he was focusing on something in the distance. She wasn't sure how long they were moving until Shou came to a halt just at the edge of the rooftop they landed on, from her position she could tell they were in the west, using MBI's tower as a compass, well she figured they were safe here, she trotted over to the edge where her Ashikabi stood motionless for a moment his hair blowing huskily in the wind.

Her eyes focused on several large warehouses, but one caught her eye. While several had steam and smoke stacks coming through the ventilation vents that were shaped like skinny cement pillars, there was one situated to the far back, her enhanced Sekirei vision giving her a better view than the average human. She recognized this place as what they'd call docks in human terms, where boats of all types stopped, arrived, and departed several carrying goods, materials, sources and food. Her gray eyes trailed to Shou who was still silent his piercing eyes focused forward, she wasn't sure if she should speak. He did look like he was in the middle of some deep thought and clearly didn't want to be disturbed less she suffers the consequences if there were to be any. She turned back her head to stare at the view, from here it looked sort of majestic excluding the crowded warehouses and other shacks around the clouds were towering in the distance and the sun's light reflected off of them giving them a silver lining that took her breath away. "What?"

"Uh.. Hm?"

Shou turned his head looking at her with narrowed eyes. "You have something on your mind that you want to tell me or ask me." He said simply turning his gaze back to the warehouses. "Speak, what is it?"

Yashima curled her bottom lip biting it slightly with her top teeth. "W-Where are we exactly?" She asked nervously.

"West sector of Teito. The docks." He replied without missing a beat, he bent his legs leaping off of the roof and hurdled himself towards the ground. Yashima hid her gasp of shock, and the warning that wanted to escape her lips. She had to remember that this man wasn't human, but what was he? She shook the thought away, leaping off of the roof with surprising flexibility landing a few feet behind him, jogging to catch up to him and his rapid strides. Again, it seemed like he'd rather just ignore her, or pretend she didn't exist, she sighed to herself looking at her feet downtrodden. He didn't even turn to acknowledge her, he kept walking as if she'd follow him, which she did.

"Why are we here?" She asked after a few moments of silence, she didn't get an answer the man pointedly ignored her but pointed in front of him. She figured it was a gesture to tell her where they were headed, but she couldn't tell honestly everything looked the same here from the warehouses to the docking areas, it was all one giant maze and if it wasn't for Shou she was sure she'd be lost and unable to navigate through the concrete and metal compound. Her eyes bulged when she took in the sight of a slashed fence that looked like it was honestly clawed with something super heated; but going on their previous battle she was willing to bet it was that blade. The same blade that sliced her hammer in two like it was nothing. She carefully stepped around and under the twisted and contorted pieces while Shou just continued forward not paying any attention. Yashima sped up from a jog to moderate running speed catching up to him with a small frown.

"You could have waited for me."

"You're a Sekirei you can move faster than that." He retorted, well that silenced her. Yashima knew he was right and didn't bother saying anything back. But it would've been nice if he waited. She shook her head moving the thought aside and continuing her trotting next to Shou. She came to a slow stop seeing Shou stop right in front of a large slightly rusted door. It looked at least thirty years old and was worn down, it also looked inches think at least thirty to be exact. With no effort he pushed the door open, the hinges creaked and squeaked as they completed their revolution revealing a barren and still slightly dirty inside. Yashima stepped forward as he entered looking around with a curious expression, well the place was spacious she'd give it that. She wrinkled her nose from catching the stench of old fish and something rotting. Covering her nose slightly, she turned to address Shou well more like ask why they were here in the first place.

"Um, Shou-sama...?" She began uncertainly looking around the warehouse again. "W-Why are we here?"

He was silent for a moment until he waved his arm forward nonchalantly glancing at her out the corner of his eye. "I want you to clean this entire place out." He replied bluntly and without any reservations about telling her to basically get covered in the filth still riddled through this warehouse. He turned on his heel walking towards the door, Yashima whirled back to look at him with slight confusion and apprehension at the objective her Ashikabi gave to her. She was expecting _everything _but that to be asked of her, but she was supposed to fight not sit here and clean, especially a place that constantly clattered with the feet of rodents, she really didn't like mice or rats.

"Why if I may ask?"

"You'll find out eventually." He replied cryptically as he stepped out of the door, stopping suddenly as he turned his head to address her. "What's the date, day, and time?"

"I don't have a watch." Yashima answered in a meek manner. "But last time I checked it, it was about 11:30 AM, and today is Friday, May seventh." She replied curtly looking at him expectantly awaiting an answer, but he turned his head exiting through the doorway. She bit her bottom lip nervously, she couldn't let him go anywhere alone, she knew he could take care of himself but it was her duty and purpose to be at his side at all times. "W-Where are you going?"

"You ask too many questions little one." He turned back to address her with an impassive facial expression. "Have this clean by the time I get back." He said after a brief silence between them and continued on his way out of the door and disappearing in the multiple warehouses. Yashima stared at the spot where Shou once stood, wrinkling her nose in slight disgust she'd clean this place for him, but she didn't exactly like it. While she was never one for combat she'd take that over cleaning this out, her thoughts only raced when a loud clatter jolted her back to reality and she seen a rat or something like a rat scurry across the floor. Well, first thing she needed was cleaning supplies, which oddly enough were situated at the far end of the warehouse everything from sprays to durable wash cloths were present, she trotted over to the supplies feeling lighter than usual. A pang of sorrow ripped through her, yes her hammer, her prized weapon was nothing but garbage now.

"Ew, I think that was a rat." She muttered to herself pulling on a pair of yellow gloves. "Better get this finished, then I can think of a way to get another hammer." With her objectives in mind she grabbed a spray bottle and a large wash cloth walking to one end of the wall.

* * *

Minaka was filled with glee, more than usual his stupid grin was staining his face. Takami didn't have time to deal with this she already knew what it was going to be. Another rambling about the new age of gods and bunch of other delusion bullshit, if she had to be honest. But, she had to follow through otherwise there'd be consequences even for her, shaking her head with disdain she stomached the idiot turning to look him in the eyes. "What is it, Minaka?" She asked calmly though there was a hint of impatience. What could be more important than preserving the game that he so badly wanted, it certainly wasn't a ridiculous announcement.

He stayed quiet for a long moment, then he addressed her. "Have you checked the latest developments?" He asked with a mad grin as he turned on a dime, his cape billowing behind him with his dramatic bravado. He shouted with flare extending his arms to either side over his head letting out a long laugh. "He has done it, he's winged a Sekirei!" He shouted barely restraining his joy as he turned on his heel to look at Takami.

"Minaka, you bastard tell me-" Takami almost barked out angrily barely containing her rage as she closed the distance between them in what seemed like a second. However, the CEO just looked at her with indifference wearing the same grin. Well that answered her question. If that look was anything to go on, which by now she learned that it was; it meant that man... No that monster got his hands on a Sekirei, which one was it? Could it be number one, three, one of the double or triple numbers? All of it was disturbing to say the least, she _didn't _want him gathering an army of Sekirei that would only lead to one thing and she was sure the entire city of Teito would be in flames and ruins in the aftermath.

"He has become part of the game, it seems he's winged little Yashima. I'm quite surprised she was always indecisive and frail. This will really shake things up!" He thrusted his hand into his pocket whipping out his phone, Takami's eyes widened comically.

" That's impossible!" Takami snapped looking at him in disbelief and crazed doubt. The records showed that Junichi was her Ashikabi, as much as it sickened Takami there was nothing she could do. Everyone knew of the harsh man's treatment and viewpoint of the Sekirei, it was even sadder that Yashima somehow ended up with him. "What are you going to text, haven't you done enough for one day!?" She snapped with righteous anger welling in her chest. "Yashima was in a abusive relationship and now she... Belongs to that thing, that monster!"

"Relax," Minaka waved off her very real threat and worry as he shut it again, getting the info he needed with a glance. "I assure you that Yashima is alive and well, if you check the updates like I asked what you're supposed to do you'd understand." He said in a chiding manner as if Takami was a spoiled and obnoxious three year old child. "If you don't believe go watch the video feed in my office, it's all there for you to see..." He began to shoulders shook violently and his back hunched as a loud laugh escaped his lips, he continued laughing hysterically his voice echoing into the city, for a moment Takami felt a shiver of fear run down her spine but she quickly shook it off. She had better things to do than listening to this idiot laugh like a complete lunatic. She turned on her heel, walking quickly back to the door, but stopped hearing him clear his throat. "And... Begin the lock down of Teito." He said in a deadly serious tone, that was unusual for the usual jovial, eccentric CEO.

Takami would've spat out her drink if she had one, so instead she nearly choked on her spit as her breath hitched from shock. "It's still early Minaka, there's still more than ten percent of Sekirei that need to be winged! Not to mention we lost at least a good five hundred soldiers thanks to your little stunt with that man!" She gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her anger in check. "More over, locking down Teito now will only cause more mayhem and chaos than it would've when the time came, I'd need to inform all division leaders and squad leaders and then would need to coordinate the entire thing in less than twenty four hours without the initial preparations set into place!"

"Lock down Teito. Begin the operation now." Minaka said with a serious tone. "I don't care what you have to do, who you have to inform, or what you need to be done; the initial preparations weren't always needed and were put in just to satisfy you." He seemed to mock Takami's insistence on certain aspects of his marvelous plan, like keeping 108 in the MBI tower when she should have been released and set out to find her Ashikabi. But, look how that turned out Takami now has a scar running down her left eye he didn't need to reprimand her for her ridiculous behavior and emotions the scar was enough. Nonetheless he let that slide, after all she now had a good Ashikabi and that's all that mattered. Tough shit not to him, all that mattered is that she was winged and was going to fight to the end.

Takami gritted her teeth, fuming mad as she speed walked through the doorway ignoring the loud laugh that echoed again. "Damn it Minaka, what the hell are you thinking?!"

* * *

Now that his mind could focus on more important things, Shou retreated to a rooftop staring at the towering skyscrapers and hotels in the area. He figured as much, this sector was most likely where a lot of tourists came judging from the layout and architecture, some were high class; others a bit plain but in good taste. He opened his hand, slowly black ooze formed in the shape of a phone, Junichi's phone to be exact, another perk of consuming, now he could stay informed of what the madman was playing in on, and follow through with his own agenda. Which started with one of these buildings, any of them were large enough to house hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. He leaped up with surprising power, flying through the air like a missile, it was still early so a total massacre wasn't a good decision, or was it? He could just replicate them with his virus, it'd keep him informed and aware of new faces and regular faces coming and going.

And he needed another base just in case. He always thought ahead.

He turned on an axis flipping towards ground and landing swiftly in an alley, walking out onto the sidewalk turning to his left looking up, the building was tall and appeared to be a hotel or something of the sort, he was almost disappointed that nobody noticed his presence. They were so oblivious to the danger that was right in front of them, passing them right now. No, he'd spare them for now, he had his fill of blood yesterday because of his departure of MBI. He slpped through the door swiftly, taking in the waiting room, it was luxiorious with two leather couches and a sofa situated in the corner, there were also lights creating a violet like hue, if he didn't know any better this was a club or something close to it, well he was never one to go out engrossed in his work he blocked out everything else. People used to call him antisocial, obsessive, turbulent, and the kicker was a sociopath. Not that he cared what people thought about him, all that mattered was his studies and nothing more, nothing less. "How can I help you sir?" A female clerk asked, she was middle aged with black hair parted in the front and the back was shoulder length.

Shou didn't respond. He could consume her and replicate her in a mass of Blacklight, it would provide him with information. A lot of faces came and left Teito especially since MBI was revolutionizing the medical field. He rested his hand on the counter, bolting forward with his hand gripping her around the throat. Her eyes widened in terror as she gasped desperately clawing at his arm. "This will only hurt for a second." He said lifting her out of her seat as if she weighed nothing, the woman let out a choked scream that echoed for a moment, she shrieked then fell silent as a blade pierced through her torso, she struggled to breathe hoping the security team would get to her desk in time; out the corner of her eye she seen a black tendril of some strange ooze slither onto her skin she would've screamed if she could but settled on clenching her eyes shut, and the pain stopped a few moments later.

Six security guards rushed down a flight of stairs entering the waiting room on with his gun drawn the others keep heir hand just over their holsters in case they had a fire fight. To one's surprise the room was spotless as it usually looked, nothing seemed to be out of place and Lina, the desk clerk was going about her work as she usually did with a small smile on her face. The leader of the six strode toward the desk tapping his hand on it a few times until he got her attention. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded annoyingly. "You've called us here for nothing, care to explain?"

Lina stopped her work and looked up into the man's hazel eyes. "Please forgive me Takuto-san." Lina bowed her head in an apology. "A man came in here demanding money and held me at gun point, I was able to convince him to stand down and took his gun shooting him in the arm. But he got it back resulting in this." She raised her left wrist showing off a blue and purple bruise she earned from her very brief and intense struggle, "he couldn't have got far and I can fill out a report."

"Do that." The dark haired man Takuto said with a small and curt nod, he nodded to the other officers watching the disperse and go back up the flights of stairs. "We'll contact the authorities they'll take your statement while I file a report. Do you remember how he looked?"

"Tall, very tall like six foot three or five. He's muscular but not over exaggeratedly so, has onyx black eyes and black hair that falls over his shoulder blades and his bangs cover his eyes. He was wearing a t shirt and sweat pants." Lina explained with a somewhat frantic and worried air but still maintained her composure. The police were called soon after and Lina along with Takuto, the manager, and owner were questioned and their statements were taken. The police explained that they'll be putting a report on the news for any that was forth coming with information and would tell their units to be on a watch for the person that she described.

* * *

Yashima wasn't sure how long she had been cleaning the large warehouse. Shou hadn't come back yet and the sun was starting to set, she scrubbed everything harder hoping it'd quell her nervousness but it didn't help much. It was now getting dark and the usual blankets of black and navy blue were spreading above her, she was at least relieved there was an opening on the top right in the corner and four doors for entrance or exiting at least she didn't have to deal with stench. But cleaning this place was painstakingly slow, every spot she thought she got was still dirty and for a moment she thought it was hopeless. Shou wanted this place clean by the time he got back, she figured he had to have been gone for at least three hours now, she felt lonely and wanted to be in his presence. Despite what he was, which she didn't know.

She smacked her hands together with a small smile on her face as she appreciated her handiwork. The entire warehouse from top to bottom was almost spotless, there were still stains from liquids and substances she couldn't even begin to guess, but she was certain Shou wouldn't mind too much. The top was the biggest challenge, between the dust and uneven stairways that would've caused the average person to trip, fall, and then split their skull on the concrete that awaited at the bottom, luckily she was a Sekirei. Her hammer did a lot more good than she thought, she was incredibly strong, and used that to hang from the tall beams scrubbing and wiping them relentlessly.

Now she was leaning against the wall with the door wide open, enjoying the cool night breeze blowing through her brown locks. She was tempted to take out her ribbon but chose against it, she loved her ribbon and the look it gave her. Her clothes were covered in dirt, grim, sweat, and dust she really needed a nice hot both or a shower, hell both after the mess she cleaned. It seemed a lot worse before hand and she silently thanked Shou for cleaning out the bigger and nastier stuff. She jumped slightly when Shou was nothing but seven feet away from her, she hid the blush for making a fool out of herself. She was a Sekirei and should be aware at all times not daydreaming, also how was he so silent when he walked? She stood to her feet dusting herself off, but her almost black hands didn't do her any favors and smudged all over her white shirt, well, she sighed, so much for that.

She stood in silence waiting anxiously for him to say something, anything. She couldn't read his facial expression and his eyes were effectively covered by his long bangs. "This is satisfactory, good work." He said after a long moment of observation and checking out the entire warehouse from top to bottom. The breath of relief that was released from her lips was audible, she was certainly nervous that he wouldn't find it any good and then all of her efforts would be wasted.

"Thank you Shou-sama-" Yashima was cut off by a loud growl that reverberated off of the steel around them. Shou looked up with slight confusion hearing the growling noise again except it was twice as loud than before, he turned to look at Yashima noting that she was looking at her boots and a blush stained her cheeks. "Um..." She fiddled with her fingers feeling his eyes piercing into her back.

Shou understood immediately. "That'll be all for today. Go wash up and get something to eat." He said turning to look at her.

"But where?" Yashima asked meekly, the thought of a hot bath and hot food was enough to make her knees buckle with joy.

"Head three blocks up, turn left and go two more blocks, hang a right it's the sixth building on the left. When you enter tell the clerk that you know me." Shou replied not missing a beat, seemingly reading her mind, Yashima looked skeptical for a moment but nodded her head giving a curtsy as she strode out of the warehouse and followed his directions of where to go. Surprisingly she wasn't worried about other Sekirei jumping out of nowhere as she made her way to the haven, they were well off the main portion of the sector so she could roam freely if she wanted to, and being clean and filling her stomach overrode everything else even her fear.

Shou watched the small Sekirei trot away, she was a strange one he dully noted. And curious, he looked around the warehouse with a critical eye. She missed a few spots but it was nothing too major overall she did an excellent job, the lights above were all clean of dust, the fans at the ceiling gleamed in the faint moonlight shining through the door and the opening in the roof showing off their new polished mills, he nodded to himself pleased with her work.

_Only thing left to do is prepare, where one is there will always be another. That's how it is, then, now, and in the future. _With a deafening leap he swiftly exited through the opening on the roof, landing silently on the roof turning on a dime. His eyes scanned the Teito skyline, skyscrapers towered high above the neon lights that were flickering on. _After all we're connected..._

* * *

I'm not sure what to say... Okay... Alex will be in this story and soon, I'm excited to write his debut I just hope I pull it off right. Minaka is pushing the lock down of Teito, some of you may see the importance of this others not so much, but if you do good job on that! And again, because guest asked. Alex will be in this story I can't write a Prototype crossover story without Alex being a part of it. So, until the next chapter I guess that's all since there's no questions etc...


	7. Chapter 7

She let out a sigh of pure joy as she submerged her entire body in the steaming water, wincing every now and again until she was neck deep. Yashima let out another sigh as she grabbed a face towel started to scrub her skin gently slowly getting rid of the black stains that decorated her. She was skeptical when Shou told her to go in basically random directions that could have lead her to the middle of nowhere, well not literally. She couldn't hide her surprise when the clerk who she found out was Lina already knew she would be coming and already had a room on the twenty fourth floor reserved for her, she explained that there was a fully operational bath and shower, a small kitchen area, two bedrooms, and a well sized bathroom, she simply nodded her head muttering an okay and thank you as the clerk gave her the key card and showed her the stairs. She pondered how and why the woman knew, as far as she could remember she never met Lina she didn't even know of a Lina. But she kept her questions to herself, she was getting a hot bath and everything else she craved at the moment.

She was further surprised when she found a room service booklet on the night stand by one of the beds, something Lina made sure to point out several times over. She went through the booklet briefly, she wasn't sure what half of the foods were on it but she'd eat anything right now. But first she needed to clean up, which was why she was currently in the bath. Why Shou had her clean a warehouse that looked like it was ready to fall apart confused her to end. She was never cut out for combat, her indecisiveness doomed her on more than one occasion but she at least knew the motives behind it. But, she knew nothing of Shou or his motives, normally she wouldn't think any of it but he made it clear he wanted it clean. And it wasn't just a task to watch her squirm. She gently massaged her scalp with shampoo closing her eyes as she did so, it wasn't her place to question him or his motives and he seemed to be more than tight lipped about the entire thing. No need to pry deeper when it could result in him lashing out in a bout of anger.

Humming to herself as she laid back against the side of the tub she breathed slowly enjoying the steamy atmosphere the way it filled her lungs and pushed her body into further relaxation. She had a few hours of spare time to herself and planned on taking advantage of that. _I wonder why Shou-sama didn't come with me... _She idly thought to herself, opening her eyes and staring up at the ceiling covered in a haze of steam, he definitely wasn't the type to slack on his hygiene of anything health wise, that much she could tell from a first glance from his muscular body to how he always seemed unscathed as if dirt and grim itself feared him. Sighing at her lack of an answer she began to rinse her hair out muddling over her thoughts and letting them flow away with the water cascading down her body and scalp.

* * *

"And in other news today millionaire and million dollar movie star and playboy Kai Kazama has turned up missing after a night of drinking, drug induced dancing, and shameless advances, this is baffling for investigators who say there is no trace of him left. Some say that he disappeared without a trace but due to a lack of evidence the authorities haven't ruled out any certain outcomes for the former porn star and movie star. There is one thing that we can be certain of however, and that is the authorities putting forth all of their time and effort into finding the young and charismatic twenty seven year old. Many have claimed that he is dead or has been kidnapped and held for ransom but speculation concurs that if he was being held for ransom the perpetrators would have already come forward with their demands..." Minato watched the screen with slight interest and slight shock, he barely watched TV at Maison Izumo and when he did more often than not it was with Kusano, normally it was her cartoons but currently she was asleep on his lap huddled in a ball.

So he turned to the news more than certain that his youngest Sekirei wouldn't stir from her peaceful slumber. He heard about Kai, by all means he was the envy of every man in Japan and the treasure of every women, the second year ronin dully thought if he found himself in a position such as he found himself now. Stuck with four extremely beautiful women fighting for your affection and everything else while you sat back and watched, he had to have gone through something similar after all he was a play boy and a former porn and movie star so he had his fair share of women in the sack. He shook his head grimacing as his thoughts went off course and he turned his attention back to the report.

"Moving forward. Officials are stunned to find a six block radius in absolute disarray from overturned cars to craters littering the bust streets of Teito. There is no definite cause to this event and officials are still looking into the matter, while they've not answered any questions they assure the population that they are looking into this matter in all seriousness. Many eye witnesses say that there were shock waves rattling the entire perimeter and when they looked out their windows or came outside there was simply too much widespread damage to see anything worthwhile, the witnesses have all been asked to make out a report. Traffic will be backed up for the remainder of the day heading onto the freeway and going as far as the east and part of the north and south. The question that we should be asking if are these two events connected and if so who is behind them? I am Diane and this is channel 4 news bringing you the latest updates."

"Not good... Not good..." Minato muttered shaking slightly as he seen the images of widespread destruction over the span of six blocks. It looked like something straight out a movie where one city or continent was targeted and whoever targeted said place left nothing alive and everything screamed death and destruction to any on looker. That's all he could see was destruction, he'd seen a lot of crazy things so far but cars turned into lunch boxes thirty feet from where they previously were that raised more than alarms in his head. "Could it have been a Sekirei...?" He mused quietly raking a hand through his hair, he shouldn't be worrying over this he didn't want to alarm his girls to any danger until he knew for sure that they were in any. And even then he wasn't sure if he could tell them knowing them they'd go out and try to confront this dangerous person. He ruled out that it could have been a Sekirei, maybe but even from his experience Sekirei couldn't make that craters _that _size and depth over and over; six times sure, but more than that wasn't likely and there were at least twelve craters that he could see.

He sighed again, smiling down at the sleeping Kusano. He'd have to ask Matsu about this, she was the only person that would know what was going on. With her control over satellites and everything, again he found himself wondering how he had the affection of such a beautiful yet perverted woman.

* * *

Czechoslovakia

It was one of the harshest winters in recent history, the snow storm seemed to come out of nowhere. One would think the gods were punishing them for some unknown reason but they begged for it to end, but it didn't. Day seven of the blizzard and there was already ten feet of snow, some residents were trapped in their homes having to shovel their way out. While some others who were less fortunate seen their garage roofs and gutters in shambles from the collapsing of the wood and harsh ice.

Anyone with brains stayed inside and had something warm to drink or eat.

The home was small if one were to see it they'd call it a shed. But it was in fact a home, or a make shift home just to be used every so often or whipped up spare of the moment. The windows were old and clattered from the vicious winds outside every few seconds. He didn't jump at the entire house shaking as mother nature raged on, he kept his sinister eyes down focused on the floorboard, his arm bent. Slowly a black-blue ooze streamed out of his pores and the very leather of his jacket, forming around him like veins, his hand appeared to enlarge as the tissue continued to harden and grow forming three razor sharp talons that were easily two feet in length all of them sharp as a blade and could slice through bodies like better, and skewer them with deadly efficiency. He grinned slightly standing to his feet in one swift motion his eyes darting outside. He stared at his reflection, cold eyes staring into the other. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans that fell just over the top of his black combat boots, he wore a white dress shirt, over it was a gray overhead and to finish it off he had a leather jacket the material glistening in the eerie moonlight.

"What day is it?" He asked himself out loud in dry humor as he flicked his wrist forward, the talons cutting through the metal with a deafening screech leaving a shower of sparks in its wake, with a powerful leap he shot forward, landing in what appeared to be a field. He hadn't left the house for a while now, he was staying off the grid as it were. He chuckled staying off the grid was never his thing, and something was calling to him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was getting annoyed with it.

With booming speed he ran forward, appearing a blur to the naked eye. His speed bellied the impossible it would make Olympic track stars faint and green with envy, and they wouldn't dare to try and run that fast knowing the couldn't. His vision flicked from normal, everything turned a shade of dark blue and purple, but far in the distance he spotted a cluster of red. He ran faster, if it was possible, his feet pounding small craters into the ground as he continued his trek.

General Luke stood on guard duty, it was his sixth year in the service. It was mandatory that you serve at least one year in the military, but it was the price to pay. He remembered his mother crying, and his father staying strong but crumbling on the inside, but he too served. It was both with pride and sadness that he went through with it. He was now on guard duty after being serviced in a small dispute up at the borders, things were growing restless for whatever reason. His polished chain gun was strapped on his shoulder, his dense frame easily supporting the mammoth of a firearm, at least he had fun mowing down fools with his trusty weapon.

He wore a heavy jacket with a large hood and goggles with baggy snow pants and thick boots with warmers. Despite the frigid temperatures he was comfortable thanks to the thick layers. He sighed kicking a patch of snow the wind bristled violently slamming the particles into his cheeks stinging them slightly. He was sick and tired of this snow, it was normally cold around this time, but almost sixteen of snow was ridiculous!

"Luke, have you seen anything?" A male voice questioned.

"Not since I've been here." Luke replied without turning around. "What are you doing here Jericho?"

Jericho regarded him with a smirk, he was slightly older maybe by five years and was more muscular. He had peach toned skin with long blonde hair. He was dressed in the same attire as Luke, and was carrying an Ak-47 with an extended clip and scope. "I was told to come here and make sure you didn't die."

"Haha." He rolled his eyes as he laughed sarcastically. "I don't need any watching. Hey are you listening to me?" He turned around ready to slug him in the face but stopped seeing his confused expression, he turned his gaze to the same direction squinting his eyes. He seen something, well he thought he did, it was moving fast that was for sure. But what the hell could it be? He wondered as he focused his eyes more readying his gun, his stomach turned into knots and adrenaline flowed through his veins like a raging lava storm. He always followed his instincts, and whatever this was, was dangerous. There wasn't anything that would be out here moving at that speed, and definitely not any vehicles.

"What the hell is that thing?" Jericho asked slightly stunned, his gun pointed forward.

"We need to alert the rest of them." Luke said with urgency.

"I already have just shoot that damn thing!" Jericho roared, the deafening sound of he clip being emptied rattled the air shortly followed by a spray of bullets that literally carved a line in midair. Jericho stepped closer measuring out his shots going to the knees, and the neck; he knew it was a matter of time before more men and women arrived at least two minutes, this was the longest two minutes ever. He cursed his luck.

"DIE!" Came the ferocious snarl as a man clothed in a leather jacket shot forth, hand extended, his talons spread Jericho and Luke could only yell in shock as the razor sharp appendage tore through their abdomens and chests spilling their blood everywhere. The monster didn't stop his attack and plowed into the cement wall smirking as a loud boom resonated through the are followed by the cries of this fools who thought they even stood a chance, he could see their blood trails leading to the center around the base. "Well, well, well isn't this a little merry gathering we have here now hmm?" The man said mockingly but in a dry manner as he regarded over three hundred armed soldiers.

"Stand down!" Someone shouted from above, interested the man turned to look, laughing as he watched dozens of soldiers file out on the roofs armed with assault rifles. Sparks showered the ground like a orange fiery bath as his talons scrapped against each other and the cement beneath him easily carving a trench behind him. Several soldiers paled at the sight, others were completely mortified soaking wet spots between their legs formed as they felt the unmistakable killing intent consuming the air around them, depriving them of oxygen. Others stood fearless and ready to open fire, they were already alarmed with his abnormalities.

"Ha, that's rich!" The man shouted incoherently as he ripped the ground to shreds with a quick swipe. Cement, and steel flew forward slamming into several unprotected and unsuspecting bodies their cries of agony followed from the disgusting crack and snap, bullets flooded the ground as every soldier still standing unloaded with no reservations. The man jolted through the debris swiping his hand down, blood gushed across the air splattering messily as his talons sliced clean through a body, he did this several times moving in super speed, shocking the soldiers he knew they'd continue their hopeless attacking, but this was his favorite game cat and mouse. He could smell the stench of blood as it coated the air, his boots splashed in the crimson substances as his one bloody talon gleamed eerily in the moonlight above blood running down each individual spike.

"What the hell are you!?" Shouted several others as they were cut down a moment later. "Stand down and answer out questions!?

"The fun is just beginning why would I stop now!?" The man said with a sadistic smirk. "I am the Apex Predator and the one responsible for your demise!" Right on cue several tanks emerged from one of the many hangers he was ready to destroy, he lunged to the side swiftly dodging the shell, sliding across the jagged terrain he firmly grabbed the long barrel, swinging the tank to the side, launching through a small tower watching with a certain glee as the once solid fort rumbled and tumbled as it dissipated into nothing but boulders. "Tanks I do love tanks."He mocked gouging out the side of another one, thrusting one talon through the driver's neck and the other through the bottom of his mouth, the point exiting through his eye socket. He jumped to the side brushing off the concussion blast force from the shells, he ran towards them like a like a cheetah chasing a gazelle his movements were swift and he guided his talons through dozens of soldiers at a time. "More of you, keep em coming."

* * *

Yashima sighed contently as she sat down looking at the feast set before her. She had ordered everything on the menu, and Lina was kind enough to bring all of it up with the help of some workers, she really had to thank her for her kindness. Since her clothes were being washed, she put on a duplicate of her outfit, somehow the box was delivered by MBI though she didn't see nor hear them at all, she shrugged it off stuffing a piece of chicken in her mouth sighing happily.

She wondered if every day would be like this, here she was enjoying a feast fit for a king, queen in her case. How her life did a complete three hundred and sixty degrees she'd never know. But she wasn't going to question it; no she dealt with enough in the past and was taking full advantage of this. As usual her blue ribbons were woven neatly in the middle of her head, giving her a cute and petite appearance, her gray doe eyes enhancing the look.

She wondered what Shou was doing, silently thanking the gods for this good change.

* * *

Shou looked up at the sky with an intense expression, he had been in the same spot all day contemplating what to do next. And he just felt something that was off, like death, and a lot of it. But it wasn't in Teito so he didn't particularly care. He let out a sigh enjoying the silence that surrounded him, Yashima put bluntly was a jabber jaw she asked questions, a lot of questions that he didn't feel like answering. He was beginning to regret even speaking to her, if he would have known she was that talkative he would've just left her alone. _Too late now. _He thought leaning his back against the steel wall crossing his arms over his chest.

Yashima did interest him, she was after all a Sekirei. She was a tool to be used according to Minaka and she did a good job of cleaning. So maybe not every syllable that came out of that man's mouth was complete bullshit. When he came back he was quite surprised with the results, he thought it'd take a day longer or so; but he wasn't complaining. He could speed his plans up and use Yashima for what she was. He was sure she was enjoying her accommodations, she should, he didn't have anything against it. But if she ever crossed him or questioned him, well he'd just punish her and efficiently. He wondered if he should show her ahead of time what happens.

He went back into the warehouse, leaping down the high railing and landing on the ground. He moved towards a switch turning on the large fans above, he had been out there for hours something told him to move to that spot. He thought there was an attack but when he found nothing unlike what most people would do, turn around and go back inside he waited patiently. Waiting for whatever was there to come out.

* * *

Yashima trotted back to the warehouse with a smile on her face, her gray eyes glowing with happiness. She was clean and her stomach was full she couldn't ask for anything more at the moment. She lost track of time when she left her room and the hotel it looked to be in the late evening around six PM, she was about to fret that Shou would be angry with her absence but he hadn't come for her so he must be doing well. She hoped.

She was wearing her usual outfit, but her hammer was still missing. She felt like she lost a safety blanket or her favorite teddy bear, with a soft sigh she pushed the thought aside. No need to sulk, she was of better use to Shou that way.

She spotted Shou standing outside of the warehouse with his eyes closed, arms folded over his chest. She thought he was sleeping, meditating or trying to sense something never came to mind. But she stayed quiet walking towards him, she stopped a few inches away looking up at him. "Thank you so much Shou-sama." Yashima said after a quiet moment stepping a few inches back as she whipped tears away that formed in her eyes.

"You were gone for a while." He commented not opening his eyes to even acknowledge her. She winced feeling a pang of hurt radiate through her, she hoped that he would compliment her or something, after seeing her as a hot mess.

"Well, I was eating and I was in the bath-" Yashima said timidly but stopped hearing a sigh escape his lips.

_Such a talkative one..._He thought to himself as he opened his eyes glaring at her. "No need to ramble on, I understand." He said with a dry and cold manner that sent a chill down her spine and her smile vanished just as fast. "Now let's go I have something for you to do." He said in a tone that broke no argument as he walked towards a smaller warehouse several feet away from the one she cleaned not less than almost a day ago.

"Y-Yes Shou-sama." She responded obediently but there was a sad undertone to it that he didn't care to hear, her eyes saddening as they fell to the ground she trailed after him. She had a feeling she was going to be in for a long night. Was he mad at her, he seemed very harsh and honestly felt like he wanted to snap her neck. She grimaced at that thought pushing it away.

* * *

Unlike Shou, he could never get tired of cutting down highly trained soldiers with his talons, there was just something about running over one hundred miles slashing through a body or two while throwing a tank into a hangar causing a massive explosion. He was proud of that, the tanks started to get annoying, so he put them to good use blowing up entire hangars with them the debris from the jets and transport planes was still raining down as fires broke out everywhere around him. He didn't pay the fercoious storm any mind, he took advantage of the ones who wanted to be heroes and rushed to put the flames out, their bodies were cut perfectly.

The once strong fortress hidden within underbrush and layers of snow, was now a smoldering ruin with cries of agony echoing every second. To some it was like a horror film, the hooded man retained a small sadistic smirk as he continued chasing down his victims the blood drenched talons piercing through flesh and cartilage rupturing organs and splitting entire bodies into separate pieces. Memories flashed through his mind, he always was fond of consuming. Hearing his victim scream as their body was consumed, disintegrated, and made as his own was too thrilling to pass up. He could hardly believe where he was the last thing he remembered was going into seclusion, but before he could everything went black. He was exhausted and drained however, so he just chalked it up to that. He wasn't sure how long he had been slashing and smashing through every body and wall he knew his jacket must have been soaked in their blood, many were visibly shaking as he approached them like a raging god with his one deadly appendage pointed forward or raised to the side.

To their horror the bullets had no effect, and he was dodging tank shells at first. But then those hit and had no effect. Since then it's been downhill as he watched his comrades getting skewered by the demon. He had never seen anything more horrifying in his life, and he was a war veteran and seen bombings and massacres, but what this monster did was unspeakable. He ignored his thrumming heart as he ran as fast as he could down a long corridor, the explosions ringed his ears, almost shattering his ear drums from their repetitive reverberation, his chest bled profusely as he clenched it with his left hand in a futile effort to stun the leakage.

He had to escape, somehow.

He was private Sam, he was one of the first units to open fire on the freak of nature when he first busted through the steel, metal, and concrete solidified walls with little effort. He could only look in horror as Jericho's entire sternum was ripped clean and Luke, he wasn't even recognizable. He vomited after seeing that, never before had he seen such precise and measured brutality it was like this man specialized in it the way he charged forward, those frightening talons continuously carving and ripping through everything they came into contact with, it was literally a blood bath and he was drenched in his own and his dead comrades; they were hit by a tank from an exploding hangar it wiped out an entire building where they kept their documents and day to day archives then it continued to his horror barreling straight into them in a fiery implosion.

He wasn't sure how he survived, how he could move. When he woke up his chest was already bleeding and where his comrades once were was nothing but a mountain of jagged steel and cement. He screamed his lungs out at that moment, unable to do much of anything else his sanity on the brink of total collapse he was at his wits end all he could see was bodies and widespread destruction and fires. "Fucking..." He cursed under his breath as he kicked open a door revealing an all terrain vehicle that looked closely like an ATV, except sleeker and it was all black with titanium coating the entire thing and the latest springs and shocks allowing three hundred and sixty degree turning at any time.

He had to escape, he knew it was hopeless. Back up would never come. The first building to go was the communications shortly followed by seven hangars that caused more widespread damage. It was an efficient sweep of the entire base there wouldn't be anyone left alive except for him, only he knew about this room besides their major, who died just a few minutes ago after unleashing a whole storm of grenades taking himself out, and blowing off part of the man's body, he didn't see what happened after that he took off running.

"I need to get out of the country, no sense in staying here anymore. They'll question me, then lock me up somewhere where no one will ever find me." He spat on the ground slamming his foot down on the gas as he slammed through a window, quickly accelerating he kept his eyes forward ignoring the blistering heat and explosions that shook the ground violently and rocked him to his core, he turned back after he felt the bitter cold, the pain of his cut forgotten for now. He gritted his teeth, seeing the flames and stacks of black smoke from here. He gritted his teeth, it just had to be located in the middle of nowhere, all of those people were dead or dying! "Son of a bitch." He snapped speeding off before the man cam searching for him.

"Why in the sham hell am I in Czechoslovakia?" The man grunted out loud as he assessed the memories of the soldiers he consumed in more detail now. It was the only question that popped to his mind, he had never been here nor wanted to be here. He reduced the base to nothing but a burning crater reveling in the mayhem and destruction consuming everything around him, the soldiers screams and cries like a careful laid musical routine to his ears. He clenched his taloned fist, slowly the sludge swirled back into his veins forcing them to grow three times larger and quickly increasing until they evened out finally. "And with all of my abilities flight isn't one, damn it!" He slammed a foot on the ground causing it to shake with his boiling anger.

Then a smirk came across his face. "Well, looks like I'm flying first class." He leapt off into the distance with another powerful thrust of his legs.

* * *

"Attack again." Shou said in a commanding tone. "This time faster and more swift!"

This was not what Yashima thought he meant when he said he had something for her to do. She was completely outclassed even with her hammer, but now it was just laughable she didn't have a clue how to fight hand to hand and it quickly showed. She had a cut running across the side of her face, after mis-balancing on her punch and falling into a large rock, Shou had to suppress the urge to laugh at her clumsy attempts. Yashima was breathing raggedly, panting to fill her lungs with oxygen, she was losing stamina fast and her lungs burned painfully. She internally groaned he didn't even notice what she did with her ribbons and she'd have to take another shower.

* * *

"Attack now!" He yelled running towards her.

Yashima wobbled to an upright position throwing a punch aimed for his jaw, but he dodged at the last minute grabbing her wrist an lifting her over his head. He swung down, slamming her body into the ground getting a cry of pain as he lifted her up again punching her across the jaw sending her flying back. Yashima struggled to gather her bearings, sliding on all fours as she looked up at Shou with frightened eyes. "Your opponent is going to give you a break, what if you lose your hammer fighting another Sekirei and need to use your fists?" He asked in a dark tone that made a shiver run down her spine. "They won't care," he said lunging forward again kicking her with his shin, bending her entire body to the side launching her to the side where she crashed into the wall of a shed writhing on the ground fighting back the tears that sprung to her eyes.

"You are too slow, you need to be sharper. Stand up stop laying around!" He snapped kicking her side again, Yashima cried in pain as he repeatedly slammed his shin into her ribs, buckling the bones and knocking the air from her lungs.

"Do not mistake this as abuse. I am simply training you, if you don't get up I won't stop kicking you." He slammed another kick into her ribs that bent her completely, her body slid to the side stopping abruptly. "These Sekirei would have already finished you." He said scowling down at her, watching her snivel holding back her tears barely as she pressed her hand into the cement struggling to push herself up. "Unlike me, they won't hold back." He walked towards Yashima, giving her a change to get back into a stance.

"C-Can we take a break?" Yashima asked clutching her left side.

"You don't listen." He put on a burst of speed frightening her. "I said attack me so attack!" Yashima barely dodged a kick before being launched off of her feet from a brutal uppercut.

* * *

"This is... Disturbing why would Minaka be doing this now?" She asked herselfm her gaze hardening with worry as her fingers flashed across her keyboard. "It doesn't make any sense, there's still twenty five percent of Sekirei that need to be winged..."

* * *

The security guard and TSA agent smiled at the veteran. Jericho strolled through the gates at a leisure pace. "Enjoy your flight sir." The TSA agent called out.

"I will I'm flying first class..." He let out deep chuckle escape his lips as his shoulders shook.

* * *

**Thanks! I'm excited to write I hope it's good! Thanks for the review, leave some more in the future Cole!**

**I wonder who he was too, Evolution. I'm sure you've got some guesses, let's wonder though.**


	8. Chapter 8

The flight was mind numbing, he had never felt so restless in all of his life. He wasn't used to this, relying on such primitive things for transportation normally he'd just jump for ten miles and gt where he ha to go, if he wanted to cause mayhem he'd run at super sonic speeds while plowing through entire intersections and freeways reveling in the raining destruction around him. But he couldn't neither of the two, and he was questioning why he was a on a plane when he could be back in Czechoslovakia terrorizing more military bases of go after the whole country just for the sake of curing his boredom.

He couldn't be more disappointed then when he walked through the airport as Jericho, nobody noticed any small oddities. Simply put these humans were oblivious to the danger lurking right next to them, another reason why he was still going to follow through with his plans. To get rid of weak and feeble pathetic excuses for life forms like the imbeciles surrounding him at this moment all indulging in their own devices, cell phones, lap tops, and other little trinkets and toys. Only worried about the inane things, only able to focus on the trivial meaningless things, all the more reason for his goal to become reality. Reconstruct, rebuild everything turning the populace into something might, something higher, better than what it was now.

He reclined back in his soft blue seat, sipping on a cup of brandy as he entertained these thoughts and more. When he was human, brandy had been his favorite drink the funny thing is it still was even now despite all of the changes he had been through. It wouldn't have any effect on him but he miles well act the part, and he needed something to do and sadly he couldn't put his talons to good use. All around him was what he considered a meal. there was a buffet fit for a king in this large plane. He knew the exact model it was a 747-deluxe made to house extra passengers he was flying through some European airline that he didn't care to remember.

Delay. And more delays no thanks to the pain in the ass of a snow storm.

Being delayed. It was something he wasn't used to, he'd never get used to having to wait to get what he wanted. How he wished flight was an ability he possessed. He could extend his limbs for hundreds of feet, turn his arms into taloned appendages, could regenerate any wound, and could reform himself from a single molecule. And yet flight wasn't in his array and it never really bothered him until now. He had been on this plane now for 14 hours, it was a straight through flight to Japan, the city named Shinto Teito, but he couldn't recall there ever being a city named that.

It was stupid and just... Weird what kind of name was Shinto Teito?

But he was headed there, Jericho was to be stationed here under some military corps project and he just had a sick sense that there was something in Teito waiting for him. He never believed in superstitions or things of that nature someone always had a new big foot story, of the yeti which was practically the same thing, or moth man something completely unfeasible and ridiculous that humans entertained themselves with. The kicker was UFOs how many times he heard some bullshit theory or seen fake videos of stars and such that some poor sap though was a UFO, not to mention all of the TV shows based off of the things that always grabbed people's attentions, It was only fitting for an inferior species such as the humans to find entertainment value in such things as these. He supposed they were good for something, like this hulking monstrosity of an aerial transport that was taking him on a one way course to his destination.

However restraining himself any longer was going to be a task, he was a killer and merciless deep down, and all of these people would have been his victims. No! They would be, he wanted to end them all now and plunge the plane into the ocean depths below and let them be ate by sharks, but the problem came with his own transportation since he couldn't swim or fly. So he sat in his seat tolerating the idiots around him hearing the occasional stupid thing come out of someone's mouth, someone complaining about their seat being kicked, another one complaining that another woke them up from their nap and it was rude, and the occasional argument on who went to the bathroom first and then establishing a pecking order. It was truly ridiculous how many things they found to argue about, it was like some were seeking conflict, his nose wrinkling in disdain as unpleasant memories surfaced from his past, he used to think there was hope for these pests but they were all selfish unable to take account for anything that they did and were quick to betray the other when they got a good deal.

They were a cancer that was continuing to spread and he was the cure.

"Hello fliers. We are on schedule for our landing to Japan in the city of Shinto Teito, the temperature is seventy eight degrees and partly cloudy. We will make our landing in two hours."

Chugging down the rest of his drink he let out a loud groan making no attempt to his his annoyance, two hours. Another one hundred and twenty minutes of this crap. Enclosed in some primitive metal and steel contraption he was beyond this, now more than ever he wanted to destroy it. But he restrained himself, it was better to stay quiet for the moment and check things out once he landed. Scope the city get a feel for what was what and who was who, and he couldn't do that sending this place in a down spiral from twenty thousand feet. He used this time to formulate a strategy he was basically going there on a whim, from a nagging feeling that he wanted to get rid of, perhaps this was an opportunity in disguise.

First thing to do was find a place to stay and gather himself once he got there. Then he could work on finding his way around and if there were any people worth consuming, though he enjoyed hearing them beg for mercy and scream as he consumed them, he preferred to do it when he needed the energy or the information. Though seeing the look of sheer terror and fright consume their eyes and stiffen their bodies was enjoyable.

* * *

She was exhausted, hungry, hurting, and spent.

Yashima spent the rest of her time for that day recovering alone in her hotel room, after their sparring that lasted four hours. Well more like beating since she couldn't do anything to stop the onslaught Shou deposited her in the room onto the bed and left the room a moment later without looking back but left with saying I have things to do. Yashima stayed in the same spot of her bed enjoying the soft cloth and fresh scent of cleaned sheets and new blankets, she tensed wincing every so often from a bruise or cut she received, she had a particular nasty bruise on her upper back from an elbow that nearly knocked her out cold. She didn't understand the point in doing this, why she had to do this, she wasn't a fist type she didn't fight using her fists or hand to hand combat, she was a hammer Sekirei thus she fought using a hammer. But she didn't question it, she didn't question why he was putting her through this even after she said she couldn't continue, he attacked punching her in the stomach several times, but she endured the session and kept her tears to a minimum in front of Shou since he'd only come after her with more ferocity and speed than before. She rolled onto her back staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression, it had been roughly two days since Shou winged her and in the span of two days she felt like she mad little progress with him. Sure it was two days but this was her soul mate.

She grew up constantly being adjusted and watched, hearing Minaka tell her and all the other Sekirei about this destiny to fight about their Ashikabi and how great it would be. She herself always dreamed what her life would be like, she'd be a princess and her Ashikabi would be the prince and they'd live together happily after the game was over with; so she spent most of her time reading fairy tales it was only fitting for her situation since she would meet her soul mate the one she was destined to be with now and forever. How wrong she was, even now she couldn't help but feel a crave for more attention from Shou, yes she had everything she could want but what was their status? Where did they stand, Shou appeared to think of her as a worker and nothing more or nothing less. He gave orders and trained her to exhaustion that wasn't much of a fairy tale relationship. But life wasn't and she never got used to it. But she was silly girl who believed in fairy tales and a prince charming, she read all the fairy tale books when she was little and believed that's how it would be and desired that more than anything. She drowned out the cruel world and immersed herself in her fairy tales.

She never could face it.

Scrubbing the cuts was a painful process the soap burned as it cleaned away any germs that would cause infections, and her body was covered with blue marks that were slowly starting to turn yellow as they went through the process of healing. Moving was a chore just by itself at this point and she struggled to get situated in the bath tub long enough to clean herself of sweat, dirt, and dry blood, even with her accelerated healing it'd take at least one day for all of these marks to disappear. She only hoped that she wouldn't be put through another session like that.

She asked Shou would he stay with her, he responded with no I have things to do now. Yashima felt a pang of hurt that ripped a hole through her heart, she sobbed to herself and wasn't exactly sure what these things were he had to do or what went through his head, she wanted to ask and almost did but the door was already shut and his visage was gone from view. She figured he was in the warehouse she cleaned, the same question from before came to mind. Why did he want her to clean a place that was more than thirty years old and looked to be falling apart, she was beginning to miss take it for a base of operations, it was a silly thought that she didn't want to entertain but did so anyway as she continued scrubbing herself off. Shou didn't seem like the type of person to play along with anything more likely he did whatever he wanted when he pleased and if anyone stood in his way they would be on the other side faster than she could recite her Norito. She shuddered at the thought, that also meant that he would kill his subordinates if they did something to make him mad or didn't fall in line. Luckily for her she did fall in line and did what she was told, because that's what she was after all a Sekirei, a tool to be used as her master seen fit.

She wondered if she could help him he seemed to have a lot on his mind, he wasn't the type to talk about his feelings and thoughts so she'd have to approach him carefully. She wasn't sure if she could do anything but it was worth a try to see him relax if only a little, he was always moving his face set in a impassive scowl of thought. He spent several hours in solitude doing what she'd never know since she was either in her room or he pointedly stayed away from her.

* * *

Shou stood tall with his arms folded across his chest, his hair billowing gently in the cool night breeze as he examined the city floor thousands of feet beneath him the crazed shouts of partiers completely ignored, his senses were on something else. Junichi wasn't a complete waste and served a purpose and he had the bonus of Yashima being his Sekirei, but he knew little to no information about the real game, aside from beating other Sekirei and winning there was little that could be substantial. A complete barbarian like he said earlier, a one track mind. He already came to the conclusion there were more Sekirei out there, and there had to be someone who was the 'top dog' in this so called tournament although it was inconsequential points for effort though.

Yashima showed incredible determination at first, but she quickly faltered under his onslaught, and it kind of disappointed him. From Junichi's memories Sekirei were supposed to be fighting machines all of them extremely powerful, but the little Sekirei did have potential. She stated several times that she wasn't a fist type, giving him more knowledge of the Sekirei, and she needed her hammer since she was a hammer type, he didn't respond verbally. Instead be kicked her in the stomach almost knocking her out of her boots, he felt no guilt or remorse for his actions, she was lucky to be alive still, it was a hard lesson to learn but Yashima had to adapt or perish and life would be the teacher ultimately he was merely a guide trying to press the coal into a diamond. He told her to focus, focus, it was like a mantra not that he cared about that crap anyway, and she had but faltered again. Many would think he was cruel, but there was a reason behind this.

_How long will she remain ignorant?_

He scowled slightly the thought having a bad taste causing him to spit, she wasn't entirely aware of her situation. It seemed she would remain clueless until she was pushed into a corner, then and only then will she show her true power, the powr he gave her. So was the method of this exercise to push her, and push her, and keep pushing her until she harnessed this power but it was going to be a long affair. Since she wasn't a fist type as she put it her movements were off balance, she had no footwork and she telegraphed everything, even the simplest of warriors could counter or parry her strike. He didn't hold back, he hit all of the openings left reminding her to guard and keep moving he seen the tears that wanted to fall, that did fall, but she always stood back up.

Indeed she did have potential.

But he was a realist and Yashima just wouldn't do. No he wanted another Sekirei the more Sekirei he had the more power he held in this game _technically _speaking, aside from the normalcy of that he was simply thinking ahead. And there were more Sekirei out there that could be stronger than Yashima, much stronger, and could have just as much if not more potential. He was going to play along for now slowly increase his numbers then take out Minaka in the grand scheme of things and watch the life leave his eyes, he really hated the eccentric man, but he had to thank him accordingly for the opportunity to build a small army, and he was an opportunist and it would be some fun seeing the horrified faces of his enemies before he ended their life in a quick swipe. "Now where to find another Sekirei?" He asked a loud resting his right leg on the edge of the tower draping his arm over it, Yashima was good and wouls improve but she wasn't the only one that would be under him. He was sure she was in her hotel room enjoying the spoils that he provided for her, a hot bath, hot food, cold drinks, a comfy bed and several other things that he didn't care to think of he was long passed materialism and didn't require food in that sense.

He sighed quietly retreating back towards the docks with deafening speed. He'd need to search first thing in the morning with Yashima it was pointless now it was dark and more often than not if they were around they'd be indoors. After all what Ashikabi would let their Sekirei wander around alone in the night with this game going on, they'd be with them at least and that would give it away. A perfect opportunity but it wasn't likely and he could focus on his dynamics of the city on the map he was currently creating in his spare time. Yashima was enjoying herself so that left him perfect solitude so he could have his undivided focus put forth into his task not correcting her or watching her carry out the task he had given her. "She must know where more Sekirei are I'll have her lead me to one." He said to himself, little did he know of the jealous streak almost all of the Sekirei possessed, not that he would care about something so trivial anyways, but it was still unknown to Shou.

"Hey." Shou walked into Yashima's room feeling a blast of cold air, glancing at the A/C to see it was set to sixty seven degrees, glancing around further he found the small Sekirei fast asleep snuggled under the blankets on the bed, he grumbled to himself as he left cursing that he forgot she still required sleep while he didn't, he glanced at the Junichi's old phone it was only eleven thirty, quite early and she was already asleep. Ah well, he could just ask her tomorrow and focus on his strategy until the sun rises then he could start scoping out the entire city where Sekirei and their Ashikabi would be located. He should have kicked Yashima out of the bed and snap at her for sleeping, she was supposed to be his tool and there she was sleeping, but he chose not to the sparring was enough and she'd be tired understandably. "Will she learn to use it or will it return back to me?" He asked himself as he pushed the door open to the large warehouse, but glanced to the side seeing a flicker of movement, a tight dress with a burgundy collar and several whips fluttering in the wind, what caught his attention was two blonde tufts that defied gravity and stood up on the top of her head, but it was gone just as fast as it came, he smirked showing his white teeth as his eyes glimmered in the light. "A Sekirei... Yes... That was, one with whips..." He narrowed his eyes searching the rooftops for the elusive woman but found no signs of her.

She wasn't like Yashima clueless and inexperienced, whoever this woman was she was more seasoned and refined in her movements and her approach. If it was anyone else he would have tracked them without a second thought, but this woman surprised him to some extent moving at a blurring speed though he didn't see her completely and she didn't see him. Where Yashima was clumsy and careless this woman was precise and mindful her movement were measured and thought out for the best result which involved the speed of a train with the stealth of a feline, it was a deadly combination. He doubted she knew of him, or seen him if she did either of things she wouldn't be in the west to begin with. Though he was a killer and killed without a second thought he didn't actively seek mayhem and destruction, he was more composed and planned things out. Explosions and death could happen at any time whenever he desired, but a plan that was flawless and didn't involve the two things directly was difficult but he did enjoy a challenge. _That Sekirei is mine... _He chuckled as the thought came and passed, she was going to be his one way or another. He needed to expand his army to continue growing and evolving, now it was a warehouse soon it'd be the entire west section of Teito, then the city would follow soon after.

* * *

Takami exhaled a cloud of smoke nervously as she kept her eyes on the city below her eyes narrowed in anger and confusion. She had deep bags under her eyes and looked like she hadn't slept in days which was true since she spent the last sixteen hours mobilizing and organizing the seize of Teito without the preliminary plans set into play first. It could only result in chaos it was practically martial law the way they were going to over run and take the city. She hadn't been able to continue her research still juggling several things at once not to mention keeping Minaka's insanity to a containable minimum.

She rummaged through her pocket pulling out her phone to check the time. _12:30 where is he? He said he would be here. _Takami sighed massaging her temples as she put her phone away looking back over the skyline. It was a beautiful sight to see the entire city below her, the two was two heads and shoulders above the rest of the buildings, even the tall business buildings that housed thousands of people on a daily basis didn't compare to the tower. But she didn't have those thoughts as she looked down, she could only feel growing dread and trepidation, essentially there was a cold blooded monster on the loose who had Yashima. Takami shook her head briefly the poor thing couldn't catch a break, her adjuster was abusive, her Ashikabi was abusive constantly berating and beating her to a pulp, and now she belonged to a monster that could end her with a thought.

"Sorry I'm late. Miya-san was awake when I left and asked." A smooth voice said from behind her, Takami didn't turn around to regard the silver haired man clothed in all black with a black mask covering his mouth. He was of a slender build and had dark brown piercing and observant eyes, his silver hair hung neatly over his shoulders and his bangs combed neatly so they didn't obscure his vision, the most noticeable thing about him was his hair and the black cape that billowed behind him. "I didn't give her all the details, just said you needed to talk to me."

"I see." Takami nodded flicking her butt off the edge turning around to look at him with a stern gaze. "Homura or Kagari should I call you?" She laughed dryly to herself. "It doesn't matter one way or another does it." At this Homura chuckled in bemusement folding his lithe arms over his chest regarding her with a serious expression.

"You said something about someone dangerous..." He paused as his voice held an edge to it, he had enough to deal with those damn lightning twins trying to terminate un-emerged Sekirei, those whip twins constantly getting in his way not to mention Yomi, and there was his job as a host which took a lot out of him, all of this together was understandably stressful. He sighed raking one hand through his messy silver locks. "Care to fill me in? It wouldn't happen to be over those news reports your son was shaking about today over dinner?" Kagari asked raising one eyebrow as he watched several emotions go over Takami's face as he mentioned that. "He's alright." Kagari added with a small smile beneath his mask.

"There is a chance." Takami answered after basking in the relief her son was alright and unharmed, although shaken up by the news. She had seen the reports there was a special on going investigation all week and there were several big names that were partaking in the search. Of course Minato was always indecisive and easily frightened this must have made the ronin piss his pants and then go in the bathroom and cry. "It's too early to say at this moment, but I'd hazard a good guess that they are related..." Takami reached forward holding a small piece of paper, Kagari took it examining it carefully for a few moments taking in the shaggy haired and muscled appearance of the man.

"Is this the one I should be on the lookout for?" Kagari asked but he had a good idea that he was the man that had Takami in this condition. Him and Minaka's constant workload that grew more and more by the day. "That reminds me Matsu-san said something about changes in their geographical locations of MBI's troops do you know about this?" Kagari narrowed his eyes slightly, that bit of information startled him it was far too early to lock the city down not to mention there were still twenty five percent of Sekirei that needed to be winged. The prior measures to transition smoothly were completely disregarded then.

"Yes..." Takami closed her eyes avoiding the hard glare Kagari was throwing at her. "I don't know what the hell is running through the man's head anymore.. Minaka always had a few screws loose but this..." She paused raking her hands through her light hair sighing loudly. "I have no idea, and I'm not in agreement with this move, it's reckless, stupid, foolish, and is going to endanger the lives of millions but I have no choice." Takami opened her eyes, taking a harder appearance as she lit another cigarette inhaling the toxins as she looked back down. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I need you to look for that man. When you spot him _do not _try and talk to him or bring him back here just let me know his whereabouts." Kagari made a face at that, it was ridiculous to be weary of a simple human who had no real power but if Takami was cautious then by all means he had to be too.

He sighed into his hand chuckling softly. "I guess I can do that, the job never gets easier."

"Thank you Kagari." Takami said gratefully turning her focus back to the city as the silver haired man vanished with a super jump that cleared the distance of several rooftops. Takami inhaled sharply again walking back into the tower now that she had Kagari alerted she could focus on her research and keep tabs on her son through the latter. She could only wonder what was going through Minaka's head, what made him unleash such a terrible thing in the city where the Sekirei, her children, and millions of innocence were. It was madness of the highest degree, she had to figure out way to contain his insane ideas and that monster's blood lust if either got out of hand she'd be in danger along with their entire populace.

* * *

Another chapter done. Yes that is the Alex thing to do and I had fun writing that little part. and eternal I answered your questions via PM hope it helped and thanks for reading. Thanks for the reviews and yeah I'm rambling so I'll shut up now.


	9. Chapter 9

Yashima opened her eyes halfway, stretching as the early morning rays wafted through her window and onto her face she tried to fight them off but gave up after about ten minutes and looking at the clock to see it was seven thirty. She got out of bed groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she stretched and moved her limbs cracking the kinks out of her stiff back and neck, she winced every now and again the bruises were now a pale yellow almost completely healed and the cuts were all but gone leaving barely a scar, she glanced around her room looking for Shou but the shaggy haired man was nowhere in sight. _Must be doing something... _She thought with a small frown as she opened the door to the bathroom to wash her face.

She could have sworn she heard him yesterday sometime after she fell asleep, but she could have been hearing things or it could have been her dream. Shou coming to her room late at night wasn't feasible since he'd spend the majority of his time in solitude where she wouldn't be a problem, she got the sense she was but she didn't know Shou like she should yet she assumed that was the case when it was really just the simple fact he enjoyed silence and solitude. But he wasn't about to give his whole life story to a strange woman he just met all but a few days ago, and more so the personal and private information that he told nobody. _Look at yourself. _Yashima thought as she stared at her reflection, gray doe eyes staring into another, her hair was all over the place and her outfit looked scruffy but she was just asleep and it was sleepwear, she splashed the warm water on her face sighing silently as the small jolts woke her up and moistened her skin.

"So, you're awake." Yashima perked up hearing his baritone voice cutting through the air like it always did. She turned on her heel, walking out of the bathroom with a brilliant smile on her face. So maybe it wasn't a dream maybe Shou did come in here last night but for what? She watched him walk slowly around the room observing everything that there was to observe, her messy bed, the empty food trays, her outfits on the floor and in the closet and her blue ribbons on the nightstand. Here he grimaced slightly mentally why would she think of wearing something so ridiculous in battle? The enemy would grab that and wrap it around her throat faster than she could blink, but he recalled the flash he seen last night. That woman was dressed oddly, perhaps functionality wasn't something Sekirei were keen on.

"I just woke up a few minutes ago." Yashima answered politely as she began to weave her ribbon in her hair neatly giving it a small tug making sure it was tight, she turned to look at him as she walked to her closet to get her clothes out for the day. "Do you need me to do something Shou-sama?" She asked carefully, if he did want her to do something she was going to brace herself for another sparring session straight from hell or she'd have to clean again; which she didn't mind too much she'd take cleaning a scruffy and dirty warehouse any day over getting kicked repeatedly in the ribs but if he wanted either she wasn't going to object she'd just suck it up the best she could.

"It's nothing like the usual." Shou said staring out the window with a faraway look in his eyes. Yashima stared at his visage struggling to suppress her blush he was a hottie as some of her sisters would so crudely put it, but she had to agree no matter how crude the wording was the way the suns orange and yellow light shone through the window and bathed him in its eternal glow enhanced his sharp nose his angled jaw, his shaggy hair getting what was a keen to an outline on its edges giving him the appearance as if he were glowing, his muscles were bulging like they always did but it wasn't exaggerated like she seen during her time at MBI he was lean but the muscles themselves were _dense. _She wondered what they felt like, were they as hard as a rock or did they have a softness to them, she shook her head why was she thinking about this? Shou would never do anything like that with her. He glanced at her seemingly ignoring the blush on her cheeks and her ogling, "I want you to answer a few questions I have and we can go from there."

"Okay." Yashima nodded once.

"Do you know anymore Sekirei?" Shou got straight to the point he was never one to beat around the bush.

"Why?" Yashima asked uncertainly trying not to frown as she looked at him in question. She knew which direction this was going in and if it's the one she thought she wasn't going to be happy one bit.

"_I'm_ asking the questions _not you_, and you w_ill _answer them." Shou said in a low tone narrowing his eyes in on his small Sekirei. Yashima shivered at the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, doing her best to hide her fear and trembling knees she gulped down the lump in her throat.

"I don't know many." She responded truthfully. Her time being adjusted was a horrible one, he was constantly abusing her making her shake in fright anytime she was near him and it only got worse over time as he got more violent and brutal. And there were her fellow sisters who enjoyed to pick on her calling her weak and pathetic, it wasn't all of the Sekirei it wasn't even half of them that picked on her just a small portion of them in the lower numbers, she had a few friends like number eighty eight Musubi and number seventy three Namiji just a couple names that came to mind as she wracked her brain for an answer. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully looking up at Shou who was now leaning against the dresser with his arms folded over his chest. "Maybe you could give me a description of how she looked?" Yashima asked after a moment looking at him questionably. "If I know how she looks I could tell you if I know her or not."

Shou smiled slightly moving his weight off of the wooden article of furniture and walked back to the window. "She had short platinum blonde hair with two tufts sticking up at top of her head and the most exotic eyes I've ever seen they were a deep gold, she was wearing a tight black dress with a burgundy collar and pants of some sort with her left leg at the top being a white compared to the rest which was black. And for a reason I don't want to know she was wearing a collar with studs the was the same burgundy color as her dress hem and she had straps." Shou explained carefully digging back into his memories to make sure he didn't miss a detail or an article of clothing of the woman he spotted yesterday. _Seems she may know. _He said to himself mentally as he watched Yashima frown and look at her feet as if in deep thought and stayed that way for a while.

Yashima scrunched her brow. He wasn't thinking about winging this girl was he? She could only think of a few blondes off the top of her head and the first two were bitches in layman terms the other one... She didn't know much about, she kept to herself and didn't speak with anyone. "I can only think of person... That wears the clothing you mentioned." She answered after a moment of internal debate and deep thought a part of her was screaming for him not to wing her or any other Sekirei for that matter, but she didn't voice her opposition the other half of her was trying to remember the woman's name and number but she couldn't remember the number.

"Who is it?" Shou asked leveling a gaze with her.

"Kaie. I think." Yashima replied looking up into his obsidian eyes trying to read his emotions or intentions but couldn't read anything his eyes were just as dark and piercing as before but were also hollow devoid of anything to read on. She gave up with that digging back into her memories her childhood was like a flash but she remembered certain parts vividly. Kaie was always distant and kept to herself, she didn't speak to anyone and sure as hell didn't even look at the single numbers. For Yashima she did it out of fear not wanting one of them to unleash their power on her, but Kaie, Kaie loathed them with a burning passion that rivaled the sun, she was one of the abnormally strong double numbers and fought using a multitude of whips, she was intelligent in battle with the quickness and strength to match and was beyond flexible.

"Kaie..." Shou said the name letting it roll off of his lips. "Hmm a good name." He chuckled quietly walking towards the door. "Get dressed and be ready in two minutes we're going out." He said turning back to look at her with a serious expression.

"Where are we going?" Yashima asked though she had an idea already.

"To find this Kaie and recruit her of course what else." Shou said without an reservations about Yashima's feelings and thoughts on it and without any hesitation that made it hurt more. Though he didn't care how Yashima felt about it she was his slave for lack of a better term and from everything he gathered it wasn't far fetched; so her opinion didn't matter in the least he could care less, case and point Yashima shot him an angry look when the command left his mouth. "Hurry up!" He snapped jolting her from her frowning, he turned the knob leaving the room so she had privacy. Yashima stared at the door with a mixed expression angry because Shou was going to wing another Sekirei, sad because she was going to help Shou in doing so thus there's a chance he could completely ignore her in favor of Kaie, and downtrodden as he didn't spare her a glance that signified he noticed what she did to pretty herself for him, with a quiet sigh she began to get her clothes out and changed out of her sleep attire tossing the articles of clothing to the floor, quickly slipping on a pair of clean panties and her blue skirt that went just above the middle of her thighs she looked out the window pushing thoughts of being replaced from her mind as she pulled up her black leg stockings and putting on her white knee high boots, finally she put on a clean bra and a white shirt with an opening in the front that revealed some cleavage and slipped on her black arm sleeve.

At least she could be of use to Shou in helping him search for her, regardless of her own personal opinion. Which was to not wing another Sekirei, she'd help him and she didn't want to face the consequences of going against his order she was definitely not wanting another sparring session like that and she got a feeling it'd be a thousand times worse if she disobeyed him. She left her room dressed in fresh clothes and many would say she was adorable and cute with her ribbons and gray doe eyes, she trotted down the hallway stopping in front of an elevator after pressing the down button. The elevator ride was always pleasant she basked in the silence it provided until the usual ding broke her from her stupor, she exited looking from left to right seeing Shou standing by the front desk she waved back to Lina as she waved to her in a zealous but polite manner. She made her way to Shou.

"Good you made it, and early." He said sounding satisfied with her appearance.

"Yes." Yashima answered trying to fidget under his gaze. "So, are we leaving now?"

Shou walked towards the front door instead of answering, Yashima frowned at the action jogging after him to catch up with his long strides. She really disliked when he just turned and walked away without saying a word or sparing her a glance, in this case he thought she would follow after him. And he wasn't wrong in this case, she caught up to him finally looking up at him with a puzzled expression. "What?" Shou asked almost instantly.

"Well, my hammer..." Yashima said as her eyes saddened slightly, she was going to need her weapon to fight Kaie if it came to that.

"I told you. Focus." Shou said leaping into the air, flipping over a rooftop and sliding to a stop on the gravel. Yashima leaped forward using a few rooftops to get up to the one where he was at that oversaw a good part of the western sector. He said the same thing when he was punching her stomach into her spine, to focus and focus but she didn't get what he meant by that. She was focusing the best she could and the pain didn't help any, she really didn't understand and wish he'd explain, but Shou wasn't the type of person to give something away or explain something when another couldn't figure it out whether it was out of amusement seeing them struggle or he just didn't care enough she wasn't sure which it was.

* * *

The airport was crowded, okay that was putting it in the lightest manner possible, in all truth he was getting pissed off. The terminals leading to the gate he was to arrive in were bustling with people everyone fighting to get out first while other fliers lagged back and grabbed their luggage or suitcase from the overhead compartments where their seat number and letter were shown in bold letters, he himself didn't bring anything except the clothes on his back so he pushed his way through the people that annoyed him for the last almost six something hours and made his way into the airport itself. His eyes widened only briefly as he saw thousands if not millions of people running to catch their flights and walking at a leisure pace, several wearing business suits probably some executive or CEO going somewhere just for appearance sake.

He headed towards his left where the bathrooms were located, or where he thought they would be located judging from the logo next to the Japanese writing he couldn't understand. He walked at a brisk pace keeping his hood up and eyes flicking in every direction taking in every detail from the white and blue marble floors, the restaurants that were all filling up and the workers putting out more chairs and tables to accommodate for the rush of patrons, the solid cream colored walls and the swarm of TSA agents in their blue and black uniforms with police officers nearby. He chuckled quietly, TSA what a load of bull call them idiots with too much authority that was his view on them. While he could simply run at a hundred miles with a simple step or jump for several hundred miles with one leap he couldn't do that hear, he didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention and more so he was in a foreign land.

He walked for what he estimated to be ten minutes going up several floors and then down a few floors which he found completely pointless but he dealt with grudgingly and kept a detached air. The bathroom was on the third floor near gate C he arrived in gate S and was beginning to curse their incompetence with the entire layout of this airport. He entered the bathroom glancing around at the dozen or so people going about their business and a man sitting at the front of the first sink with a box of mints and a tip jar, offhandedly he shoved a couple hundred Czechoslovakian 'dollars' he couldn't remember what they called their currency and he didn't give two flying fucks they served their purpose for his amusement and getting to test his powers out after so long. He paused in front of a sink turning on the water and setting his hands down into the flowing water, his eyes went from side to side observing each person. A few were all laughs and smiles no doubt on a vacation probably some otaku or nerd going to a cos play competition where they'd scream like those steroid idiots on that kids TV show in the 90's, others were all serious and business like their large luggage and suitcases sporting their wealth and class among the others, and lastly you had the natives who were meeting up with friends or loved ones that were coming into town for the next few weeks to months.

_Anyone of these reprobates would do... But which one? _He questioned mentally as he shut off the water, drying his hands with the air dryer jolting many of the people in the bathroom from their stupor. He couldn't help but chuckle at their reaction truly idiots all of them, if only they knew the danger they were in. He reformed back to his own body and image and not Jericho's since he no longer needed to keep up his appearance and his assignment was as good as shit in his eyes, anything to help them make their little toys and trinkets was a pain in the ass in the long run. He finished drying his hands, heading into a stall listening to the conversations going on around them, several were useless stupid and just ridiculous while others would be useful for basic things. His real objective here was to consume any of these people to learn the native tongue then he could move around.

His prey walked right into his trap, a loudmouth slammed the stall door that was right next to him. The nerve of these humans never ceased to amaze him walking around with a sense of entitlement destroying everything that was in their path it was disgusting and infuriating. He crouched down as far as he could sliding into the next stall where the man was about to unbuckle his belt and jeans but froze seeing the hooded man staring at him with a cruel smirk. "You son of a bitch-" He went to throw a punch but his movements were sloppy and telegraphed far too easy for the hooded man to predict, with a quick snap he caught his fist giving a hard squeeze grinning when he felt the bones buckle and break, with another flick he shoved one talon through his sternum moving it to the left violently. The dark haired teen's body shook slightly before convulsing blood pouring from the wound and his mouth as the black-blue ooze began to suck up the blood and consume his body in a few shot seconds covering the body with a dense tissue. With a grin the covered body morphed into his own, disintegrating and assimilating itself into his own, his memories and speech all flaring like a flame as images flashed through his closed lids.

He exited the bathroom in a hurry searching for the nearest exit into the city, he looked at the signs the alien writing now clear as day. It was amazing what the virus could do with its host. even with all of his research he never did expect it to be quite this potent. So now he could read, write, and speak Japanese as if he were native born in the city of Teito, speaking of which everywhere he looked he seen Shinto Teito or some variant and MBI another three letter organization that would no doubt have conspiracy theorists creaming their pants as they came up with something new. He frowned at the image of a white haired man with glasses, he didn't like him on principle alone who died their hair white? And wore nothing but white? He had a stupid grin on his face that he would love to wipe off while cutting his body to pieces and feeding him his sliced organs.

He picked up a few pamphlets of recommended places to go while he was here, everything looked so plain so boring so primitive he'd seen all of this already. Learned about it in the past and yet here they were still as proud and ignorant as they were back then, as the saying went nothing ever gets better it only gets worse. There was one place that caught his attention however, a large hotel that didn't look too grand or spectacular but didn't look like it was infested with cockroaches and ants. It was tall and wide windows going down the length of the front and the sides, it was a perfect place to get settled in and begin to scope out the city. Something brought him here, nagged him and annoyed him and he intended to find who or what it is and proceed to cleaving them into individual slices with his talons. Was it that fool Heller? He always was a persistent bastard, talk about a hemorrhoid on the face of the earth, _his _earth and Heller was the definition. But, he couldn't sense his stench within the area or surrounding land masses so he didn't need to deal with him. _Let's check out this hotel, as soon as I get this entire city mapped out it's as good as mine and any moron who wants to be a hero for thirty seconds and stand in my way will be cut down and fed to the hunters. _He smacked his hands together as he exited the airport looking around at the shuttles buses, cabs, and tri ways all vying for more business, especially the cabs they were beeping and speeding every thirty seconds hoping to get another fare.

He ventured around trying to find a place that wasn't crowded but had no luck, the airport and every place around it was busy. He didn't want to use his powers so openly at the moment, especially at an airport then he'd be called a terrorist, which he has been already and he didn't care but he needed to do thing more smoothly less force and more planning. He hailed a cab, it was the truck model made to store large luggages and brief cases he honestly couldn't understand why people packed so much but it was another one of those faults with idiots that surrounded him. "Take me to this place." The man said showing him the hotel on the pamphlet.

"Sure, get on in you don't have any luggage?"

"No packing is too much of a hassle." The man answered as he got into the passenger seat shutting the door with a little more force than he meant to but the driver didn't seem to mind and sped off swerving through the crowds of car like a NASCAR driver in the final lap. He sighed relaxing into his seat as he stared out the window as they turned onto the freeway and out of the airport vicinity which he was thankful for he could only look at possible meals for so long without killing them. And this place alone was a feast fit for a king there were thousands for his picking all ripe, it took everything within his power to retrain his killing instincts.

On a more positive note he seen the city coming into view, all the buildings tall and massive like in any metropolis but there was one big difference from your average everyday bustling city and Shinto Teito. There was a tower that was head and shoulders above the rest glaring at him as he rode in silence, he didn't like the way he felt when he first seen the tower he felt like he was being monitored and that annoyed him. The driver who's name was Tsugi was very helpful explaining several things about Shinto Teito from the freeways and interstates he sped on to the reason the name was changed from its original Tokyo, and new places that kept popping up in the last twenty years with advanced technology; now this caught the hooded man's attention while he had no use for technology in all honesty it would be most beneficial if he got his hands on some of this technology. But he had no idea where to start, he grunted quietly clenching his teeth looks like he had to restrain himself longer than he wanted. He glanced to his side at he driver. Maybe not.

The ride took a total of two hours between stop and go and traffic jams, honestly he wanted to just incinerate every stupid contraption that got in his way. He was just ready for this day to end and unwind a little bit before he began to plan. The cab came to a stop in front of the hotel, it's lights still not flickering on since it was the afternoon, he observed its height and structure with a scrutinizing look it was much too narrow to be a base for him, but as a place to settle down and get to know things around here it would be perfect. He turned to Tsugi watching him punch several buttons in on the dashboard and a loud beeping sound echo through the car as a piece of paper began to come out a small opening. "That'll be seven hundred and nine yen." His gruff voice tuning the hooded man in from his thoughts and daydreaming, "will you pay with cash or credit?" He looked at the hooded man carefully as he eyed him like a lion does to its prey, cunning and ruthless it sent a shiver down his spine, before he could as much scream a talon ripped through his side gushing blood everywhere in the car as the black-blue ooze began to snake towards him wrapping his body up in a cocoon as the process of assimilating and disintegrating began.

"Thanks for the ride." The hooded man said as he exited the cab a few minutes later dusting off his leather jacket.

"Sure thing." Tsugi gave a mock salute speeding off down the street.

"He'll be useful enough, now to move onto bigger and better things." He said as he turned back, walking to the door and opening it with some force swinging both out to the sides. Lina kept a polite smile on her face as she read through documents, and looked through the log to see who was staying and who left sending up workers and maids to begin the process of cleaning, honestly some people were just disgusting how hard was it to pee in the toilet? Get a little sake and weed in their system and they forget the most basic of things, she was glad she didn't have to clean up those messes. Sighing quietly she ran a hand through her long black hair looking up at the new visitor.

"Welcome what can I do for you sir?" She asked facing him fully.

"Any room for one." He answered brief and bluntly, Lina nodded letting him know that she was listening as she began to flash her fingers across her keyboard squinting her eyes.

"Just sign here and don't lose this." Lina said as she gave him a piece of paper with a key card, the hooded man took it in a flash pocketing the card and signing his name in his neat handwriting.

"Hmm.. Alex Mercer enjoy your stay. Your room is on the third floor down the hall and hang a left. If you need anything just call for room service." Lina said with a small smile to which the man nodded and walked towards the staircase quickly ascending it.

* * *

Shou wasn't sure how long he was jumping and running it was reaching the afternoon judging from the sun's height and the heat that was blazing down on him. He glanced back every so often to make sure he wasn't leaving Yashima behind though he didn't try to do it intentionally there were a few times she was lagging and he had to literally skid to a stop so she could catch up, he had to remember that he was a lot stronger than she was and slowed his speed down though it wasn't by much. He wasn't going to give her time to be comfortable every minute they spent together was going to be work, work, work, and more work she needed to get faster and stronger and there was only one way to do that.

"Shou-sama." Yashima spoke up as they bounded over another rooftop landing on another one and broke into a sprint. For the entire trip she was silent not because she chose to, but she had to be if she even slacked for a second Shou would leave her behind by sixteen city blocks it was amazing and frightening how powerful and agile he was the scariest part of the entire thing is that he wasn't even trying it was like this was his regular level. She couldn't begin to imagine him if he was serious or at full power could Teito even stand up to him if he pushed himself that far, she doubted it. Her legs ached and felt like lead but she kept running as fast as she could thankful that he slowed down somewhat.

"What?" He asked in a calm tone not looking back at her. He kept his eyes trained forward flicking in every direction. _She's close I can feel it. _

"Um.. Well how am I going to fight her if I don't have my hammer?" She tried to hide the fear in her voice, the thought of taking on Kaie unarmed was a daunting one. She would need her hammer if she was going to do anything worthwhile and as Shou brutally proven hand to hand was not her forte.

"Have you been daydreaming!?" He asked keeping his voice low and tamed though it sounded like he wanted to yell. Even after all of this time she was still clueless and ignorant to the power that _he _gave her what was transferred from him to her in just a trace moment, surely she couldn't be that ignorant still? She had to have felt the effects, her strength and speed steadily increasing even a human who had no idea about anything aside from his or her own trivial and meaningless things would feel the change, feel the difference. "Little one I've told you more than once and I _don't like _repeating myself. Focus, and focus imagine your hammer and focus on that image it's simple." He turned back narrowing his eye as he glared at her. "A toddler could do it, don't ask me again." He turned around not sparing her another glance or another word as he increased his speed in his annoyed state.

"I-I'm trying." Yashima said pitifully as she trailed behind him with glistening eyes. She could hear his anger and disappointment clear as day and she couldn't blame him for being angry she wasn't the strongest or the most intelligent Sekirei out there but he never pointedly shoved that in her face. But she tried to focus the best she could, using every last ounce of her mental strength to focus on her weapon, her hammer that was like a safety blanket but the only thing that happened was a surge of power that took her breath away but her hammer didn't take form at all. She learned that the hard way sparring with Shou as she did what she was told but nothing came. _I just don't understand I wish he'd just tell me how to do it. _She said to herself mentally as she clenched her fist immersing herself in the image of her hammer, it's obnoxious cartoonish size, its odd colors, the weight that was constantly in her hands. She gasped watching the hammer form itself from a black ooze like when Shou formed blades, it continued stretching and forming all the while she kept her brows narrowed focusing already feeling the mental and physical strain. How did Shou do this as if it was like breathing? _Just a bit more... _She took a breath eyes going wide when the hammer glowed for a moment and the weight she was used to returned.

"Looks like you've done it finally little one." Shou said quietly, Yashima had to strain her ears to hear and she could swear that there was a smirk on his face as he spoke. "Now..." He narrowed his eyes as he slammed his feet into the roof he and Yashima landed on sliding to a stop at the very edge of the building "just to find that Sekirei..." He mused to himself as he searched the rooftops around him, there were only so many in the western sector which that woman seemed to be sticking to for whatever reason.

"There!" Yashima exclaimed pointing to a rooftop several yards away seeing the dress clad woman whirl around to look at them, then she took off in a full sprint already leaping over rooftops. She looked at the spot where Shou was shocked to see he wasn't there but shooting across the gap that separated them from the Sekirei like a demon ready to skewer its victim. "I wish he wouldn't do that..." She murmured to herself as she leaped across several rooftops with her small, yet powerful legs and hips carrying her, biting back a curse as she landed harshly on a rooftop she put on a burst of speed trying to catch up to Shou who was gaining ground faster and faster if she didn't catch up now she may lose him, putting on yet another burst though not as drastic she lunged forward squinting as the wind rushed passed her blowing her hair back.

_Who is this?! _The woman asked herself as she leaped again glancing behind her at the shaggy haired man with an observing eye. _I've never seen him before up until now... And he's not a Sekirei but that doesn't explain how he's gaining on me. _She slid across a gutter jumping forward, her body twisted and bent as she flipped towards a lower level snapping her hands out to either side clasping down on the handle of her whips knowing she was going to be in for a fight. "Stop!" The man shouted from above diving after her with a cold look in his eyes that she could only relate to calculating the same look she always had that she learned early on to have, showing her dexterity she slammed her left foot into the building springing forward with great speed landing on another roof and continuing her sprint.

"Quick thinker." Shou idly noted as he copied her except he lunged with both feet from the building. He landed on the rooftop taking off in a sprint towards the blonde haired woman, she was really giving him a chase but he didn't mind that it was his favorite game. She had to run out of endurance sooner or later while he wouldn't he could run for days and weeks on end without as much as sweating or panting from exertion, he jumped over a ledge slowly but surely gaining ground on her. He didn't turn back to see if Yashima was keeping up he wasn't concerned about her at the moment and her fat mouth, how could she be so clueless to give away their spot she herself said Sekirei have better hearing so why scream there?! He shook his head not entertaining the thought. "You're kaie!" He shouted towards her clenching his left hand into a tight fist.

"What about it!?" She shot back not bothering to turn around as she kept her eyes forward looking for any detours or short cuts she could take to lose him but everyone she stumbled upon he kept up with her staying just a few paces behind. She wracked her brain with ways of evasion that didn't involve direct conflict, she was always more thoughtful when it came to combat and chose her spots carefully and took them at a moment's notice but it wasn't going to be easy with this man.

"Well..." Shou said in dry humor as he snapped his fist forward, his left arm stretching for several hundred feet rocketing towards her, but at the last minute she jumped over his appendage with an agile flip sliding roughly against pebbles and gravel before taking another leap down, Shou retracted his arm increasing his speed as he zipped towards her location, diving down after her returning his arm to its normal length.

"Hiyyaahh!" Shou slammed his feet into the brick as an explosion of concrete blasted his hair behind his ears, he took off again leaping into the smoke that began to cover the area.

"Razor circus!" Kaie shouted spinning in a rapid motion with her whips lashing out like tentacles, Yashima could only watch in fear as the razor sharp strips shot towards her, she grunted struggling to pull her hammer from its crater but it was buried in. She closed her eyes bracing herself for the end. _Shou-sama I'm sorry! _She cried mentally, the whips were ready to make contact almost breaking her skin causing her to wince but a strong arm wrapped around her waist as she was snugged under a strong arm, she opened her weary eyes looking up into the dark eyes of her master.

"You must be faster little one." He said in a chiding manner.

"S-Sorry." Yashima looked at the ground in shame.

Shou didn't pay attention to her self pity, he didn't deal with I'm sorry and all that other crap he only dealt with facts and results. Even when he was human he never fell into the ridiculous realm of self pity, craving attention from the morons around him, he glanced at Yashima again ignoring the sad look in her eyes. "I'm going to throw you towards her swing your hammer as hard as you can."

"But what about you?"

"Don't worry about me I can handle myself." Shou replied getting a surprised yelp as he threw Yashima forward with one arm as if she weighed nothing, he put on a burst of speed easily catching up to her soaring form. The hammer Sekirei, now having her trusty hammer raised it up and to her side as she moved herself forward to increase her speed, her senses flared as her eyes focused on her target taking in her short hair, the two tufts defying gravity, her long legs, her dress, and the whips trailing behind her. Yashima clenched the handle tighter starting to swing it forward with a quick jerk of her waist a small grunt escaping her lips as she did so.

_So... You want me!? I'm not going down easy! _Kaie thought as she bent her back spinning herself in a half circle lashing out with her whips. "Razor circus!" She shouted increasing her speed as she locked her cold golden eyes with Yashima's gray doe eyes, she knew she was going to win this despite about to receive what would be a killing blow with that hammer, Yashima couldn't stop her swing wincing slightly as the air distorted in front of her weapon shaking her arms violently. The two attacks clashed in a loud boom, whips met with hammer and to Yashima's surprise they snaked around and over it as if they were alive and ruthlessly smacked across her torso, a cry of pain escaped her lips as she did everything she could to make sure the whips didn't hit her face, thankfully none did otherwise she'd be a bleeding mess right about now. But a blast of pressurized air smacked into Kaie as she Completed her rotation she barely flipped off a ledge putting on another burst of speed as she began to barely outpace the wounded Yashima who kept moving her hand to her side that was starting to bleed staining her white shirt.

"You're a clever one." His cold voice made her shiver involuntarily as a hand snatched her up by the ankle slamming her into a cement ledge shattering it upon impact, Shou continued retracting his arm pulling up the surprised and very, very angry Kaie up along with it. She struggled to get loose but his grip was too strong, bone breaking she grimaced feeling her bones nearly buckle as she got closer. She let out a yelp of pain as he body snapped downward from the momentum and velocity she gathered during her sprint and ascension. Kaie clenched her teeth slightly as she glared up into his dark and cold eyes that sent a shiver down her spine but she held herself together well and didn't show her fear.

"Sorry Shou-sama." Yashima said as she got on one knee bowing her head in shame as she kept her hand on her wound that slowly began to stop bleeding out.

"Don't be and stand up." Shou said in a commanding tone not in the mood to deal with pleasantries and apologies. He turned his focus from Yashima who was now standing up a bit on shaky legs to Kaie who kept her face impassive and cold her eyes blazing with anger, but behind that anger was fear and worry. "So, you're Kaie?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"And if I am?" She said trying to hold back her anger as she continued glaring at him, how dare he just hold her upside down!

"From that reaction alone I know you're Kaie." Shou said in a calm tone as he lifted her up until she was eye level with him, the entire time Yashima sending him worried looks. She did not want to see him do what he did best and that was rip people to shreds. "I want you to listen carefully because you will have one chance and only one chance to answer this. Whatever answer you give is the one that you'll stick with for better or worse."

_I don't like the sound of that. _Kaie thought as she nodded her head barely.

"I know you're a Sekirei." Shou got right to the point finding no need to bullshit here. "And a very powerful one indeed. Your number is not important to me, only your name..." He paused clenching his right hand tightly. "I want you to join me, stand at my side as one of my subordinates and take this city over. Join me and little one, take your rightful place beside me show them you are the strongest regardless of what numbers you're designated by."

_How... Does he know...? _Kaie looked at Yashima for a moment. _It couldn't be her... _At her questioning look Shou let out a quiet sigh his eyes softening just slightly. "I know the look in your eyes, constantly overlooked despite what you do. Constantly underestimated by your peers, your strength underestimated and mocked, your skills questioned and doubted, you long to show you're superior to the ones who threw you into that hell and don't care what you have to do." Shou said analyzing her look carefully as he gave her time to think, Kaie closed her eyes seeing a flash of nine people, nine people she loathed, nine people she despised and wanted to see at her feet.

"And if I refuse you'll kill me. But if I agree I will be at your side." Kaie said opening her eyes after composing her raging emotions.

Shou nodded, morphing his hand into a blade to add to his point bringing it an inch from her eyes, but Kaie showed no fear visibly she stared at the weapon coldly without a second thought of her own death. "Yes you are correct." He replied with no hesitation.

"Kaie..." Yashima spoke up walking towards the edge next to Shou looking at her with empathy shining in her doe eyes. "Join us. There's no harm in doing so, and..." Yashima paused, Shou did not mention anything of taking over the city to her, she'd have to speak to him later about that she was highly against it. "You have your own reasons for doing so, but Shou doesn't care what number you are all that matters is your loyalty and strength everything else doesn't sway his judgement." Yashima said in a much nicer and less killing intent way.

Kaie was silent for a few moments, but the choice was clear. _Beating them... _She took a breath exhaling smoothly. "I don't have much of a choice. I'm in." Like that she was released and landed on her feet looking at Shou with a analyzing expression then to Yashima and her wound.

"Come let's head back." Shou said with a tilt of his head as he turned around running across the rooftop and jumping with surprising speed and power, Yashima followed close behind slightly slower. Kaie frowned wondering why he didn't kiss her but now she had a place and couldn't complain so she ran after them sparing one glance behind her towards the east side of the city.


	10. Chapter 10

He had to say he was impressed, something that rarely happened with Kaie's performance; though it did little in the end to stop him from catching her. She was still quick on her feet and thoughts, she was calculating and remained calm through the entire ordeal. Though he could feel the anger radiating off her being before it was inconsequential she was at his mercy but he didn't want to kill her either way. Judging from her appearance prior to their encounter she must have been chased half way across the city from east to west and then some, and had been in several fights how she held herself together despite all that was remarkable. Unlike Yashima who had been a vegetable for several hours and was ill prepared for a real battle even now, Kaie would have strangled her with those whips if he didn't grab her at the last minute he couldn't let her take any damage regardless of how absent minded she was. He needed to spar anyways to see where Kaie stood in relation to Yashima, though he had a good guess already. But for now he'd listen to speak. Her voice composed, and sweet to some extent.

He nodded a few times signaling that he was listening or to continue he had been listening to her explanations for a few hours now, Shou adjusted himself as he leaned his back against the squared railing at the top of the warehouse looking to his side where his newest Sekirei was. Kaie was with him staring up at him expectantly as she explained several interesting things to him. A lot to consider and ponder on later, but later. Yashima was in her hotel room treating her wound and healing she tried to vehemently object to the idea saying she wanted to stay at his side and she was okay, but Shou had none of it and ordered her to leave she was of no use to him injured and exhausted, as cruel as it sounded he was only doing it for her own good, he didn't want a burden to carry on his shoulders. Kaie he noticed right away was patient, composed, and very intelligent. The way her eyes shone when she spoke reminded him of his younger days when he had the same glint in his eyes, knowing he was something great. But what she was saying he could hardly register, more over he didn't want to register it.

He vaguely recalled Minaka mentioning something about a kiss, mucousal contact was how he was to "bond" with these Sekirei or it could have been Junichi's ridiculous memories although he seemed to take it a step above just a kiss and was more thorough in his approach, although Shou just thought he was a vermin of a human but that was already declared the moment he set his eyes on him. As he stared at Kaie with his impassive expression he thought back to Yashima, he never kissed her but that was because he didn't need to. Junichi only needed to be consumed and she was his, but Kaie he had to kiss. The gesture wasn't a bad one but it had been so long since he did anything of that sort - and he was a virus - there would be no pleasure in it for him but if it increased his numbers then so be it.

"So let me get this straight," Shou said as he folded his arms over his chest after listening to her explanation. "I have to kiss you in order for you to essentially become mine and by doing so we transfer saliva and that causes you to get your wings and your strength to more than double." Shou said in his baritone voice eyeing her carefully, Kaie looked pensive and uncertain as she nodded her head staring into his eyes the entire time. It seemed for her this was the basic thing to do like it was normal, but he couldn't relate.

"Yes." Kaie said with uncertainty as she rested the back of her head against the wall behind her, putting herself in a sitting position as she pondered over her current situation. She was originally on the run from number 16 and 18 Higa's dogs as she not so fondly called them were chasing her for days on end. She stumbled in the west all but a few days ago and began to lose sight of them but it was still too early to savor her celebration one could never know when those two were to pop up, and the worse part was they attacked together paying no heed to the rules. She didn't want anything to do with Higa she only heard rumors about the spoiled, heartless bastard but that was enough to completely turn her off to the idea of being _his. _Now she was just chased by someone who she had no idea even existed and wasn't a Sekirei and was now in a warehouse. The gusting fans above brushed her hair gently in every direction, enjoying the coolness that reached her after being in the sun for so long. "Didn't you kiss Number 84?" She inquired raising her eyebrow slightly, that was a bit strange now that she thought about it. "That is how she became your Sekirei and emerged is it not?"

"No." Shou said almost instantly as he recalled kicking her around like a football when she decided to actually try and fight him for the fool that was turned into a meal. It was funny he never thought about it much, Yashima was his and that was simple enough, she did what he told her when he told her nothing too complicated. At least for him. "I consumed her Ashikabi and took his genes assimilating them with my own..." He noticed Kaie slightly twitch her fingers nervously when he mentioned consuming, he couldn't blame her it's not like you met someone like him everyday of your life a living, sentient virus that was immune to any damage including a bomb. Or it was the fact that she thought he would do the same to her which wouldn't be a bad idea but he wasn't fond of consuming and preferred relying on his own strength. "Although I recall her saying something about a kiss, but by that time it wasn't necessary for me to do so and knowing this I declined." Shou finished in his usual blunt manner, Kaie was surprised despite Yashima being... Smaller and more petite she was sure that any guy would be all over her. Regardless.

Well that certainly threw her for a loop, she wasn't sure what this consuming was but had an idea that she didn't want to find out. She could only think of him chewing like a normal person would and that was just gross, did he cut that body up to pieces and deep fry it? She frowned at the thought how she would enjoy putting number 16 in a deep fryer that stupid bitch who did she think she was demanding that she go back with her, and number 18 Kaie hated her with a passion both of them were too cocky for their own good but she planned on fixing that soon. But back to the subject at hand, if he did consume her Ashikabi it wasn't entirely illogical that he didn't have to kiss her, but in retrospect he _had _to kiss her for her to be his. _Will he not kiss me, claim me? _She thought for a moment still uncertain. "Will you be my Ashikabi?"

"No need to ask." Shou said as he reached his hand towards her, Kaie took the calloused palm gripping it gently as she pulled herself up. She stared at his visage with an appraising eye, his jet black messy hair that fell just over his shoulders and reached as far down as his shoulder blades looked soft to the touch, his bangs covered those frightening dark eyes but she didn't let herself succumb to her fear as she looked into them. His body was a whole other thing it was bulging and rippling with veins and muscles, each individual muscle, ligament, and the tendon itself was like a puzzle put together, but he wasn't overly huge like in those magazines she read back during her time of being adjusted he was what she would consider perfect his muscles weren't engorged but they were _dense_ and full giving him a more lean and muscular appearance. "As long as you are loyal to me and only loyal to me."

"Of course." Kaie said with unwavering conviction. Shou for a moment felt something tug in his chest where his heart would be, he never heard such certainty such conviction in the way a person spoke. Humans after all were a presumptuous lot constantly pushing the envelope but for every step they took forward they took six back it was their destiny to squabble and fail, pin the blame on another because they couldn't take responsibility; too damn arrogant and self absorbed for their own good. Her golden eyes glistened in the sunlight that peeked through the opening in the metallic roof, giving them a bold appearance. Kaie shyly walked up to his torso, resting her palms on his chest as she went up on her tip toes to capture his lips in a kiss. Shou carefully wrapped an arm around her waist applying a small bit of force. "This may hurt but don't move for any reason." Shou extended one finger forward the black tentacles from before surged for a moment before condensing into a sharp, short claw. He brought his finger forward flicking it gently scratching it against Kaie's skin. Kaie breathed deeply through her nose as she felt a sharp pain and a surge of euphoria burning through her veins. She clenched her teeth struggling the tingling through her entire body as it began intensifying unable to be satiated with normal means. Another breath escaped her lips as golden lotus wings flared from the back of her neck bathing the warehouse in a warm brilliant glow, slowly black veins spread over her wings hardening and becoming denser as they reached the tips pulsing vibrantly like the golden light until they shimmered away.

Kaie broke their contact staring at the small scratch on her arm then up into his eyes for a long moment, her breathing labored and her body pulsating with so much untapped energy she wanted to lash out right now. Shou unwrapped his arms from her waist and chin taking a few steps back and leaning against the wall observing her.

Kaie felt like she was flying even after her body broke contact from his she felt _power _rushing through her veins making her shudder and her knees almost buckle from the overwhelming sensation, her entire being tingled especially where her core was located she never felt so a_live _It was like she was just born and took her first breaths. _Is this what being winged feels like? _She asked herself mentally as she took a few breaths to calm her racing heart and burning blood, Kami it was incredible how she felt. She looked at Shou noticing his observing eye looking her up and down but it wasn't a look full of lust and untamed desire it was critical and analytical just like hers, but his was much, much more focused. "What just happened?." Kaie cleared her throat gently before she spoke, looking at him with a curious glint in her eyes. "What... Was _that?"_

"In layman terms I swapped DNA with you through a scratch." Shou explained leaping down from his post landing in the center of the warehouse. Now how could he begin taking over the west and turning this place into a base of operations that was fitting only for him? "By doing this I obtained your DNA, think of it as a kiss without our lips actually touching each other."

Kaie landed a few inches behind him, sauntering to his side glancing around the nearly spotless building with an observing eye. She had to say she was impressed with how clean it was, she wasn't going to be in any place that was dirty she may have been a call snotty or rude but dirt and grim wasn't her thing. The large industrial fans above constantly filtered the stagnant and hot air that lingered in the warehouse despite two of the doors being open, she raised her hand brushing a strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear."I can't say I understand but I trust you." She said quietly as she pondered over what he said and what just happened she looked around, left to right noticing someone was missing. "Where is Yashima?" She hadn't seen the short Sekirei since they got back.

"In her hotel room recovering." Shou replied, noticing Kaie look slightly guilty he continued. "Don't worry yourself over . She should have been faster."

Kaie nodded in silent agreement, in truth she did feel a bit bad now. But she was being chased and she wasn't going to get hit with that hammer dead on, her life was more important than Yashima's and she needed to live on to find her Ashikabi even if that meant dodging number 16 and 18 at every corner. But she absently wondered why Shou sent her away so early. She shuddered slightly he just blew off her hurting Yashima his first Sekirei on the notion she wasn't fast enough- to soe extent he was right she should have been faster and she would have never got hit, she grimaced shaking the thought off as she wisely changed the subject. "Hotel room?"

Cracking a smile as if he remembered something he turned to look out one of the doors. "Yes, she's in one of the rooms of a hotel a few blocks away from here.. You could say me and the owner are on good terms and she has a little more... Privilege than the other clients." He said succinctly, finding no need to go into the aspects of he basically controlled the business and was turning it into a base of operations more for information than strictly war or things of that nature. Kaie looked at him for a moment, the gears turning in her head as the seconds crept by she had a good bet that he did this 'consuming' thing to the owner but wasn't going to pass judgement too early.

"Could you show me it?" Kaie asked.

"Sure." Shou said after a moment of debating, he didn't want to go back to the hotel until later. But it was a good idea to go with her and check on Yashima's status and show Kaie the room. Although Lina would do her utmost best to help Kaie out something told Shou to go with, and so he did. "Do you have any information that's worthwhile? Anything about the competitors and other Sekirei in this stupid game?" Shou said the last term with slight disdain wanting to get his claws on Minaka but all in good time.

"I know more than the others but not as much as the single numbers." Kaie answered after a moment as she followed him through the hotel door, spotting Lina working at the front desk beaming a smile at Shou. Kaie resistd the urge to frown what was with that look?

"Great, let's go to Yashima's room we can talk there. Maybe she has something she can offer." Though he thought Yashima would have already been forthcoming with any privy information in regards to those subjects.

* * *

Alex rarely enjoyed simple things, no not smashing a tank through a brick wall or slashing a Blackwatch whelp to ribbons with his talons those were most enjoyable. What he didn't enjoy was confined space, many would enjoy this view and admittedly so he did but did he have to stay put here longer than just a few days? He only scouted about half of the western section of the city where he currently was and that couldn't do he needed to know the ins and outs of this entire city if he were take it over.

He let out a sigh as he leaned his back against the cream colored wall next to the window he was starting to regret not plunging that plane into the city and causing mayhem at its finest peak. Planning was never his thing to do, anything that required a long thought out process could be easily circumvented with his array of weapons and abilities granted from the Blacklight virus and he just wasn't one for plans in the first place. It was too tiresome and he found no need to rack his brain for a strategy when he could barrel into anything and start cutting things to pieces.

_Dana... _He thought for a moment, his chest getting tighter as he thought of his sister. The only person who still accepted him regardless of the monster he had become, he could remember her attempts of trying to help him, change him, help him so he didn't need to feast on humans every nerve ending surged with an unbearable heat to consume everything around him. Even now it was still hard to control but he had gotten better over the years, letting a soft chuckle escape his lips he plopped down on his bedside. Dana, yes his sister, his sister who bought a lobster for him to eat, in all honesty he was confused as to why she did get him the crustacean. He didn't know where to poke so he could rip it open and consume its soft flesh nor did he really understand the point, he supposed some part of his sister wanted to know that he didn't change that he was the same big brother she had before. Or did change into someone else.

He had to nip that in the bud right away he didn't run from what he had become. A virus, living for the sole purpose of getting stronger and evolving he was the ultimate apex predator and was damn proud of it too. But regardless of how he felt, he always tried his best to hide that part of him from his sister she didn't deserve to be worried and stressed out more than she was, he couldn't face her when he seen that look of disappointment of sadness. So he did his best to hide that part of him, he still cared for her and even loved her but she was the only person who he harbored such feelings for, he didn't mind if she grabbed him to stay warm or cracked a inane joke about him being a wanna be Super Man or Spider Man at times he even laughed along with her at certain times, it gave him some closure in the end. But lobsters were out of the fucking question from that day on he could have sworn he got apiece of shell stuck where his collarbone would be located and a few more near his wrists not to mention they were too small and didn't do anything to satiate his hunger.

"I need to go out." He said rising to his feet, moving towards the window on instinct. It was another one of those things his sister wasn't fond of, and the time Cross entered his home and he ended up breaking his ribs -which didn't matter- but practically destroyed the cabinets... Needless to say she wasn't happy. The wind gusted passed him, the tough leather bracing and shielding him from its harsh nip pushing energy into his legs he propelled himself forward, literally. Keeping his hands to his sides and legs together he beamed through the Teito skyline like a missile his hood blew wildly sending ripples across his face, now this is how to get around. He smirked to himself._  
_

He scaled the side of the smaller business buildings his feet leaving sized craters in the architecture while shocking the dozens of civilians that were working earnestly or milling about their daily lives inside. Their panicked shouts didn't reach his ears as he continued scaling upward jumping from roof to roof in a staccato fashion ascending higher and higher. He was used to hearing those screams seeing the looks of fear and apprehension wherever he went at first it annoyed him, was he that fascinating didn't these fools have their own lives? But he soon reveled in their despair their shouts of fear music to his ears, but now they were on mute he could care less what effect he was having on his next six course meals.

But where was he to start, he mulled over absently as he flipped in mid air landing swiftly on a featureless roof before kicking off again gliding through the air like a leather beacon. He came here on a whim, not it was more than just that an impulse something inside nagged and pulled to this city, but he himself couldn't recall ever having anything to do with this place. Tokyo Japan, now Shinto Teito, what a ridiculous name, he never thought of traveling unless his work and studies called for it, which they rarely did. Gentek was a single minded organization that only hired the best of the best, vacations and out of town yet alone continent trips were out of the question, just the single minded devotion to your path and your work. How he had been a fool back then it all came to fruition when Blackwatch -those pigs had him cornered in Penn Station and he broke the vial. That's when all hell literally broke loose New York was ravagd into a ghost town crawling with infected, evolved, hunters, the leaders of the pack of hunters and those hideous goliaths that could flip a train with a mere flick of their wrist.

Maybe this was his new start.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips, new start that was funny too funny in his eyes. But joking aside he needed to find something worthwhile here. The Blacklight had a mind of its own but because of conscious actions and choices he had a great degree of control over it, but that didn't mean he could fight off the tingling through his skin when he was surrounded by people -all of them a meal in his eyes, his tentacles creeping and spiraling up his arms like the angry talons that slashed through his victims. And, there was what he felt just over a day or two ago, this nagging and pulling that led him here three plane rides and a dictionary of obscenities, and now he was here and wasn't sure where to start searching. _Time to make my first impression. _He thought with a gleeful grin as he changed his trajectory plummeting to the crowded streets below.

New York, the city of Manhattan in particular was always his playground. He constantly honed his abilities whether it was jumping from a forty foot peak or taking on a pack of hunters everything served a purpose. His purpose. And there was always the chance Blackwatch would send out some unit of fools that didn't know what was good for them, but he would expect nothing less from that pack of wolves. No that saying was too good for them, at least wolves had a pack and loyalty Blackwatch basically threw out units and hoped that if one failed which it _always _did he made sure of it the rest would come back.

This place would be no different as soon as he gathered his bearings this would be his playground, but for now he'd let them stay in their crowding state, all of them like zombies coming and going it was sickening. How they continued down the path ignorantly there was much more and they couldn't see it, they never did and never will.

* * *

Jun sighed softly, it was another one of those kind of days. She really wondered how she kept her sanity dealing with such insane people, namely her boss Minaka. He had been more eccentric than usualnand was barking out orders from time to time. She couldn't say she was entirely surprised it was his job, though he usually had some third rate or an upstart relay the order since he was too busy doing Kami knows that, the way Takami stormed out sometimes was enough to lead to a question.

But she didn't ask because she didn't want to know. She noticed that the head of the research department was looking slight disheveled her normal neat light hair was sprawled on several sides and it looked like bruises were forming under her eyes, well she had bags and wasn't getting any sleep. _I guess that's what happens when you have to coordinate and entire takeover on your own. _Jun thought absently as she filed away a few documents nothing too important in any case from the looks of it, she was brought out of her work by the person she was just thinking about. Takami.

"Jun is Minaka in?" Takami asked calmly, too calmly it sent a shiver up and down Jun's spine. When the hell did she get so scary?

"Y-Yes, he's doing..." Jun struggled to find a word for it but stayed silent as Takami just nodded walking briskly passed her and opening the door to his office. She could have sworn she heard something crack but just shrugged it off gathering her things and heading for the elevator. _This is why I get smoke weed on break... _She thought rummaging through her purse pulling out a pack of cigarettes, her favorite brand Newport one hundreds, sure as hell not the kings, she clicked it open grabbing the lighter from her pocket.

"Minaka!" Takami raised her voice exuding a cold aura around her, the CEO who had been grinning like a child as he watched his hundreds of screens only Kami knows what was on them looked up at her for a moment before shuddering in fear, he hadn't seen Takami look this mad since... Well since he found the ship, rocks and his head didn't mix he only wished she could understand that, always so violent.

"Takami-kun!" He smiled despite himself. "I take it everything has been taken care of like I asked?" It was more of a statement than a question, he knew the answer already but asked anyway. Of course she did, she would do what was best for the company like she always did despite her misgivings towards him and his actions she still followed through with everything he ordered, everything was done perfectly. It must have killed her on the inside but he wasn't concerned about that, only results.

"Yes." She spat, closing the distance between the two of them in a heart beat slamming her knuckles against his forehead. Crying in pain Minaka flew back crashing into and through the wall letting out a pained wheeze as he crumbled with the wall to the floor, Takami took several deep breaths smoothing out her lab coat and putting a cigarette into her mouth staring at him coldly. "Bastard..." She hissed, sparking her cigarette. "In forty eight hours this entire city will be under our control." She didn't hold back the anger or resentment in her tone she let Minaka have it full force, she was really starting to hate him, sparing him a glance she left the room kicking a piece of debris nailing him on the same spot her fist did. "Bastard." She slammed the door shut.

Painfully gathering himself up to his feet, bracing himself against his desk for support he let out a long sigh. That was going to bruise and probably swell. _I need a happuri and stat._ He thought plopping down into his chair massaging his forehead. "I'd like to see her face then."


	11. Chapter 11

If I put Nanaha instead of Nanami let me know. I went through this a few times but some things I don't catch. I know those are both of her names but Nanami I guess is the "official" one.

That's all.

* * *

Sweets. Pudding with no air bubbles, moist cakes, fluffy cupcakes it was a girl's dream within a girl's dream not to mention chocolate you could never have enough chocolate. Yashima sniffed the heavenly aroma of the platter just in front of her a smile gracing her face, she was unhappy that she had to retire to her room. But that changed when she got hungry and ordered some sweets, she had a sweet tooth a mile wide her few friends always said that, and she ate a lot for her small size. Which was true she enjoyed anything that had to do with food, even cooking but there were no ovens or utensils for her in this hotel but it wasn't an issue that needed to be pressed. White it was naturally obvious that Shou would want another Sekirei, more Sekirei she sincerely hoped that he wouldn't. A foolish girl's dream, but she wanted him to herself even if he didn't give her attention at least he was her's and her's only. She frowned slightly as she smoothed out the collar of her white shirt, happy to be clean and her wound clean finally, but that brought up her previous thought, Shou had another Sekirei.

Wasn't she good enough? She did everything he asked and more, she cleaned out both of the warehouses was covered in filth and endured that harsh training session. She never complained or questioned orders, it wasn't her place and she just knew better than to question him for any reason. What could Kaie do she couldn't? Yashima could clean when she was asked to, she was ready to do anything for Shou whether she liked it or not, if he wanted to beat her to death she wouldn't stop him. That was a bit extreme, but still she thought she was enough, that she was good enough and all of her efforts weren't for naught. But she was wrong, terribly wrong she wasn't good enough and Shou wanted another Sekirei, another Sekirei that was more developed and gifted than her in certain aspects, Shou may have been strict, stern, and distant but he was still a man and she couldn't help but feel jealous of Kaie and her assets. Yashima wasn't the most shapely or pretty, she could admit that. But Kaie beat her in every category.

"I have to." Yashima stood up abruptly pacing towards the door making sure her ribbons were secured. She'd prove herself to Shou, prove that he didn't need more Sekirei and that she was all he needed. That she could complete any task he gave to her, she was admittedly jealous. How couldn't she be when Kaie was with him at this very moment, she didn't know Kaie whether or not she'd try to usurp her standing with Shou but she didn't care, she needed to solidify her place. She took a deep breath her stomach twisting into knots, wounding themselves tigher and tighter until she almost buckled to her knees from the overwhelming feeling; Shou told her to stay in her room and recover. It wasn't a request, it wasn't a question, it wasn't something that she could negotiate with him out of common sense. And more importantly it was an order, he made himself very, very clear in that part not to disobey him for any reason. She wasn't about to do just that. She opened the door she needed to let Shou know, had to prove herself, she bolted forward but let out a cry of pain as the back of her head bounced off the wooden floor and a small bruise began to form on her forehead. For a moment all she could see was bright splotches of yellow and flares of purple and white, her vision clouding over before sharpening.

Shou looked like he wanted to say something, his eyes blazed a deathly black and his lips curled into a thin line. He at first was surprised that he felt something run into him, it could have been Lina trying to make a hasty exit upon his arrival, but it wasn't Lina wouldn't be up here now. Instead he was greeted with Yashima trying to plow through him to little effect he didn't budge an inch or show any visible signs that he even felt her collide with his torso, his eyes traced over to a tray filled with a disgusting amount of sugary sweets. The sticky and colored frosting, those sprinkles and glazed sugar coatings it was enough to almost throw the entire tray out the window, but he didn't despite his own misgivings about what humans and Sekirei considered food. But to him this was junk, and vile junk at that. He turned his focus to Kaie watching her watch Yashima with a curious, observant stare then looked at the tray of sweets before wrinkling her nose slightly.

"And just where do you think you were going off to?" Shou asked in a dark tone that made Yashima shiver as she picked herself up. She knew from that tone of voice he was not in the mood for excuses or games, and it was a warning that he might just smack some sense into her. Or worse. She gulped suppressing those thoughts she didn't think Shou would beat her but he wouldn't let her have free reign while disobeying his orders. It was a sigh of disrespect.

"I'm sorry Shou-sama." Yashima bowed her head lowly keeping her gray eyes trained on the floor unable to meet his piercing gaze.

"Enough." He said in a sharp tone, shutting the door behind him, grabbing Yashima by the roots of her hair and yanking her head up until she was an inch from his face. She bit her tongue holding down the cry that wanted to escape her lips as his hands gave another hard tug springing tears into her eyes but she didn't dare let them fall. "I told you about apologizing and bowing to me." He squeezed harder until he felt the strands vibrate, threatening to rip from her scalp.

"Yes Shou-sama." Yashima said barely holding her tears back as he threw her onto the bed like a rag doll. Yashima massaged her scalp, her hair getting pulled hurt. Like every girl it was painful, but her scalp was extremely sensitive, as the humans called it tender headed. She whipped her tears away silently chastising herself for showing such weakness in front of him, it must have disgusted him to see her like that after the session they were just in, if she survived that why was she fretting over this.

"Kaie. Please take a seat." Shou gestured around the room to the few chairs littered around it and the bed which Yashima sat on. Kaie gave a curt nod sitting across from Yashima glancing at the smaller Sekirei with some sympathy. She didn't know why Yashima tried running full speed out of the room, she herself thought there was an attacker that caused the reaction but when she seen the room empty save for her tray of sweets she couldn't hide her puzzlement. She didn't believe in ghosts or any of that crap, humans found entertainment in such intangible things and there was always something different, and they'd argue over it when it was basically the same thing just a different name or title. She didn't know Yashima personally, she never spoke to her while they were growing up or paid her any mind she was always frail and indecisive the others would pick on her, all huddling in a circle while she was in the middle crying. But Kaie never participated in these events, she was off somewhere on her own. She shunned most of her kind especially the single numbers.

Yashima glanced at Kaie for a moment. She couldn't deny she was beautiful that blonde hair with those two tufts that defied gravity it was rather cute. Her well developed, curvy body would make any man cream his pants and get on his knees begging her for a date. It was no question why Shou chose her to be his next Sekirei besides her physical appearance she seemed to be quiet and attentive, two good qualities. She turned her head back to Shou obediently waiting for him to talk.

"First of all." Shou looked very displeased his brows knitting together. "I would like to apologize. Yashima was not supposed to be leaving this room at all for any reasons." Yashima winced when his eyes locked onto her's and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't tear her own away. Kaie looked uncomfortable as she looked at Yashima again giving a small nod of acceptance saving her the trouble of digging herself in a deeper hole trying to explain herself. "Now, you have the floor Kaie." Shou leaned his back against the wall folding his arms over his chest.

"Thank you." She nodded to Shou. "I've got some information that I think could be useful to us in the future and if prudent in the present." Kaie started in a composed and level tone. "As I'm sure by now you know that the city is composed of four different areas, in the four cardinal directions with MBI's tower located within the center. These four locations are home of the four strongest Ashikabi in the Sekirei game at this moment, the south is controlled by Hayato Mikogami he has a single number from the rumors and over ten Sekirei under his service. Hayato is about sixteen and owns the mansion in the south that acts as his base of operations." Seeing Yashima nod with a curious expression she deduced that she didn't know, she continued. "The east is controlled by Higa Izumi. He is more dangerous and cunning than Hayato just like him he has over ten Sekirei under his service, but unlike him he also has Sekirei and Ashikabi pairs working for him." She frowned for a moment, she was ratted out by one of the pairs and not soon after did those two dogs show up. "The west is controlled by Sanada Nishi, he had three Sekirei from what I've gathered and heard. Though it's a surprise he's even considered a power player from that alone. And I've learned different." Kaie looked at Shou with a small smile. He was not part of her data, and him alone through everything into chaos.

"I noticed you didn't mention the north why is that?" Shou asked completely interested as he walked in front of her pulling up a chair beside him and sitting on it. From the sounds of it he had two people to really be concerned with. The first was Hayato, probably a spoiled brat. He had rich parents that gave him everything he wanted, there was never a day in his life where he was told no or had to fight for the simplest of things. He had a sense of entitlement from here to Greenland that was his guess anyway, and his instincts and guesses were never wrong. Then there was Higa that was the real person he had to watch out for people like him sacrificed anyone and anything to get what it was they wanted, they had no qualms of using the sick or injured, even the young. He was bound to have friends in higher places, connections for information a cunning person but with no real strength. He had others do his work while he gave the orders, threatening his subordinates the entire way. If these Sekirei were as obedient as Minaka, Yashima, and now Kaie explained them to be this was a lot more dangerous.

Inconsequential for him but still dangerous nonetheless.

Yashima opened her mouth to speak. This was one thing she was certain of besides MBI's hold on the city and their lives.

"There's a Hannya." Kaie answered before she could, Yashima visibly deflated though the two didn't pay her any mind, and Shou could care less. "A Hannya that is more powerful than everyone combined. The strength is unreal which the person wields, it's said that he or she has no equal that she is unquestionably the strongest among the Sekirei. Not even MBI dares to push themselves too far on the northern sector for fear of the consequences." Kaie recalled her observations and listening to other competitors talk about the rumors and things of that nature while she hid on a roof or in a dark alley never noticed by the couple, it was shameful in her eyes. To be a Sekirei and not sense her while she was listening, it was careless and only showed how stupid humans and her own kind could be.

"A demon?" Shou asked rubbing his chin in thought. He was called a demon more than once but never took that moniker serious he had many as it was what was one more added to the list? Nothing at all everything had to have a label, something to distinguish it, things could never be as they are and that's it there was always so need to label. _Humans... _He thought clenching his jaw, resisting the urge to sneer with malice. No need to frighten or confuse his Sekirei. He brought his mind back to the subject, slamming down several barriers for his anger at the same time, he couldn't let his rage get the better of him. "And you're telling me that this person is so strong... That even all of the competitors would be defeated, even if they all joined arms at once and attacked with all of their strength?" He'd only heard of one person capable of such a thing and was by no means a Sekirei.

"That's what I'm saying." Kaie replied with a grim expression on her face. The single numbers were all said to be outrageously strong, but the Hannya was in a whole different dimension of power. As much as she loathed the single numbers and wanted them broken, battered, begging by her feet she wasn't going to walk into the north.

"I find that hard to believe." Shou said after a moment of silent deliberation. "Someone is that strong in this city..."

"I-" Yashima froze seeing black and golden eyes dart towards her as she began to speak. "I've heard rumors of a Hannya in the north." She said looking uncomfortable as their intense gazes lingered on her form, more so Shou's than Kaie who gave a small nod in return to her fifty cents. "But it could be just rumors." She shrugged once tearing her eyes away feeling the oxygen returning to her lungs. Did she forget to breathe? Or she couldn't breathe?

"And this Sanada." Shou said the name with particular disgust. This man claimed the west as his territory and his alone? Shou didn't whether to be insulted, amused, or angry so he settled for a combination of the three as he glared at the floor with murderous intent. Yashima began to visibly fidget seeing his eyes glow a sinister black again while Kaie looked at anything in the room but Shou not outwardly showing any signs of her discomfort. "He's in the west?"

Kaie gave a small nod.

"Are we going to go after him?" Yashima asked just in case she could get ready for another fight. Though she wasn't ready for one.

"_You're _not doing _anything_." Shou said shooting her a blood chilling glare advancing towards her with slow steps until she began to shiver under his imposing figure with glistening eyes. This wasn't a game as she liked to think it was this was a battle to the end. A war where only the fittest and strongest would survive, not some stupid game. There was no room for heroics and gallivant rescues when someone bit off more than they could chew, like Yashima trying to run into this fight with a gash in her side. Sanada had to have more than three Sekirei how did you claim a part of the city yours with just three Sekirei. "You're staying put in _this room_ until you recover do _I_ make myself clear!?" Shou bit out his tone harsh and unwavering, Yashima closed her eyes for a second grimacing from the bite in his tone, she really screwed up trying to leave before and was screwing up royally now.

"Y-Yes Shou-sama." She said with a miserable face. This was the time to prove herself!

"It might be good if we go out now and search and she come along." Kaie said breaking the murderous glare Shou set on Yashima, he whirled around on her his fist clenching until veins bulged in his muscular forearm. "Each part of the city is big, MBI in the center being the biggest. If we take Yashima with we'll be able to cover more ground than we would if me and you were just to go." Kaie reasoned not shaking under that piercing glare like her sister did, although she was shaking on the inside that glare chilled her blood and turned her bones to ice. But she was strong and wouldn't show weakness, she never showed weakness regardless of who was doing the glaring or fighting. "Is that unreasonable? We cover a lot of ground faster and will find him faster. Yashima doesn't have to fight."

Shou breathed out his nostrils closing his eyes for a moment. "It's not a bad idea." He conceded barely restraining his ire. Even though he could jump for miles on end he couldn't keep an overview of the city longer than thirty seconds. _All the abilities I've gained and flight isn't one! Son of a bitch! _He thought outraged ready to smash a hole through the wall with his vibrating fist. He had to figure out a way around this drawback he had no weaknesses and if he did he got rid of them he constantly evolved, this just wouldn't do. And there was Yashima. He didn't want her coming along even if it was a good strategy to cover more ground, she was hurt and she would be of no use if she wasn't at one hundred percent. "We are not going out now though, and don't even _think_ of coming near me if you're covered in cream and frosting from that tray of junk..." He said growling as he eyed Yashima intensely until she nodded with wide eyes, not satisfied at all, but needing to reign in his anger and needing his silent solitude he left the room surprisingly closing the door quietly.

Kaie stared at Yashima as the little Sekirei craned her head towards her the fear slowly washing away from her features. "T-Thanks." Yashima said softly, feeling more than guilty for her misgivings for Kaie. She just saved her and gave her a bit of freedom. Time to prove herself to Shou, the opportunity to do just that.

"Sure." Kaie shrugged her shoulders looking blankly at the hammer Sekirei for a moment then at her tray of sweets. She had suppress a giggle, Yashima seemed to have a sweet tooth from this collection, with a small smile she asked. "Hand me a cookie would you?"

"Sure!" Yashima brightened rummaging through the tray.

"I don't know how bad your wounds are." Kaie said as she took a bit of her cookie, chewing it slowly as she tasted the chocolate. "But don't let yourself get caught out there regardless of the wound you have. It will backfire on both of us." Kaie didn't want to speak up originally as Shou confined Yashima to this room without saying those words directly one would consider it harsh but Yashima was wounded and Shou did want her to recover it was all in good nature. But seeing the hurt and unsettled tears in her eyes Kaie had to speak up but be realistic or suffer Shou's ire

"I'll try my best." Yashima said smiling with glowing eyes.

_I don't honestly think that's enough... It's not a matter of trying. _Kaie thought hiding her almost pensive expression by chewing the remainder of her cookie.

* * *

_This is infuriating. _The thought entered Alex's mind for the umpteenth time this evening. His eyes traced over the bustling city below, his arm draped over one knee as he leaned forward. It was an infuriating day to say the least he found many people to consume but refrained from doing so. He was not going to alert the world to his presence here, he was sure he'd have every army, navy, and coastal guard here before he could sat Redlight four times. It was getting later in the day, the sky which was a bright blue with mixes of white before was getting darker and shades or orange and red began to paint across its length. It was really a great picture for a painting of sorts, but for Alex it wasn't much of anything.

He combed the city not nearly as fast as he thought he would, and it was much, much bigger than he expected. There were buildings being built from the ground up and others just being finished in their structures it was certainly strange for a city to be so keen on remodeling, he seen roads that had pot holes for over thirty years with little repair done. What the hell was filling in a little concrete, it never took care of the problem it only delayed it, so it was a question why was this place so busy? He could understand if he was going on a rampage tearing through the skyscrapers like tissue paper watching them fall ina shower of cement and glass until the inferno erupted flying several hundred feet in the air. But he wasn't doing that, and these buildings that were getting torn down didn't appear to be in bad condition relatively new say six years old.

He shook his head ridding himself of the trivial matter, focusing on the matter back at hand. Finding and getting rid of the thing causing this nagging feeling, Blacklight was essentially alive and constantly growing but it didn't have a conscious or a knowing. That was where he came in, despite it consuming him, reconstructing him, making him faster and stronger the virus responded to his will. If he willed the tentacles to plunge through a horde of humans they did so, if he will them to reduce a building to nothing but a cloud of smoke they did so, everything revolved around his will. The Blacklight screamed and cursed, pumping through his veins wanting to lash out even at this moment the ever present feeling of dominance tearing through a body with his talons was a burning passion, a burning pleasure. It was a single track mind feed, and continue feeding until there's nothing left until only he and he alone was at the top of the food chain. Yes, by all logic and rights Blacklight had no will but it was his will, however he was proven wrong.

Something inside of him where his heart would be tightened ever so slightly before he arrived here. It wasn't drastic, if he hadn't been in such a tranquil state for lack of a better term he would have missed it completely. But he didn't miss it, he was awake and well. His mind and body screamed for mayhem, his blood boiling getting several degrees hotter until he thought it was as if fir itself was coursing through him. Luckily for him that unfortunate military base was right in his sights and with the keen instinct of a predator he charged the fort and like a demon out for blood he tore through their bodies and destroyed their buildings in a plum cloud of fire and smoke. Unluckily for those soldiers they were in his sights, many were foolish enough to try and confront him directly their sense of morale and duty overriding everything else even their common sense. Bravery was not the word for their actions, foolish, stupid, those were words fitted for their actions. Now the same feeling was coming back and he wanted to thrash and rage like an animal but he suppressed these driving primal urges and focused on his objective.

_I'm staying here so I'd say it's about damn time to find somewhere to make a base. _He jumped from the rooftop with blistering speed continuing the cycle landing harshly leaving cracks to splinter outwards on the dense concrete. This was relaxing, his body tensing and relaxing as he exuded power and speed traveling the rooftops like a personal playground. He needed something to preoccupy his mind that screamed for him to attack the populace below. _Food. _The voice was sinister and hungry as it whispered in his conscious, yes food for his taking several courses to take as he liked. He scowled pushing down the urge to kill and feed until he could hardly feel it, the feeling never left but he managed to tame it.

His eyes widened briefly, his nostrils tightening as he picked up a very powerful scent. But it was unfamiliar and odd, he'd never encountered something like it before. He would relate it to humans, but that was more of a sweet smell like his next snack the aroma was tangible. This however was almost intangible to him. Fleeting like a bird taking off into the sky above, one could look and see its journey but they'd never feel its journey. He sniffed sharply again the scent strong and lingering. He had many ways to track down things, there was the hivemind something he'd rather use, but there were her basic five senses. Touch, smell, hearing, sight, and taste. They were all heightened to extreme levels thanks to the virus, he was more than positive he had a better sense of smell than a hound and his hearing more acute than a cat's. This was both a blessing and a curse at times namely when he was in the bathroom when he first got here waiting for an unsuspecting prey, but thankfully he didn't require oxygen to live and by all means didn't need to breathe.

He put on a burst of speed, legs blurring into motion as his eyes flickered in every direction searching out the person behind the scent. He was sure he'd spot the person with his eyes, but let his keen sense of smell lead him nonetheless. At times it was hard to pin point the odd scent it was filtering through hundreds if not millions of other scents at certain points in time, but the fleeting times it was alone allowed it to linger and that's all Alex needed to keep on the trail. Grinning slightly as he increased his speed he couldn't help the surge of satisfaction that washed over him. This was his favorite game. Cat and mouse stalking his prey and enjoying as it ran and fretted futilely even as he rammed his talons through it watching the life leave the person's eyes. It was all too enjoyable.

He estimated he had been running for twenty minutes, slowly and elusively he descended from the rooftops until he was ground level. There he moved with the stealth of a cat blending into the shadows as he continued his search. He was used to the shadows they were his home, his friend, they gave him seclusion when he needed to stalk his meal and comfort when he needed it the most. Ground level was always a weary road with him, he preferred sticking to the roofs watching over everything from a bird's eye angle uncluttered uninhibited by crowds. But, here with all of these people he couldn't help but feel crammed and ever claustrophobic, each time one would bump into him his tentacles swiveled without his conscious actions, but he forced them back into his body avoiding physical contact by and and all means necessary. Thankfully it was starting to get late and the crowds that raised his ire began to retire for more crowds. But unlike before the people didn't bump into him or get in his way, they all herded towards the clubs and bars nearby with flashing neon lights, the loud and heart jumping music could be heard from where he walked on the sidewalk at a brisk pace.

He couldn't understand humans for the life of him. Many of the things they did puzzled him and angered him both were equal in favor but if he had to pick one it would be being puzzled. Anger was something he was used to, like a smoldering flame gaining vitality from oxygen just as the Blacklight surged through his body, but being puzzled that didn't happen often and was uncommon. Like why did they go on roller coasters knowing that they'd throw up during or after the ride, what so so thrilling about retching your guts out, absolutely nothing. And then there was the chips, the one that confused him was Pizza Pringles, one of the chip products his sister liked. Why have Pizza chips when you could order a real pizza or make one? Humans was his answer pure and simple a deduction of his observation a lot of the things they did made no sense.

A few hours must have passed, the moon glaring down with an omniscient white glare, it was a gibbous moon tonight a few more days and it would be full He was about to call it a night and head back to his hotel room to keep an eye on things around there and see if he could gather anything, but something. Rater someone caught his eye a girl dressed in the strangest clothing with a spear hoisted on her back. _Don't see that every day. _He dully noted as he pursued the two taking the alleys and short cuts blending himself in with the shadows that overcast the surroundings. He could pick up bits and pieces of the conversation between the two of them but couldn't make anything out indeterminately, but he knew he heard 'good job you've won another fight.' This brought a smile to his face. A fight oh how he craved a good fight. He froze in his pursuit leaping up onto a rooftop.

"You hear that just now?" Asked the bespectacled slim built man as he turned his sharp eyes back examining his surroundings. "Nanami..."

"No." Replied with light brown haired woman looking at him with obedience in her eyes. "I didn't hear anything, do you want me to check?" She quickly offered watching him carefully for his reaction.

"Leave it." He said with a smirk that screamed I'm better than you. He turned around quickening his pace as he gestured the woman to do the same thing. "It's probably just a cat or some stupid hobo, who cares." His voice envisioned the sneer on his face as he exited the alley and turn left the woman following him without any question.

"As you wish." She replied with a bow of her head not sparing a glance back in the direction.

"We need to find another one of those Sekirei." The man said excitement in his voice. "You've beat three so far let's make it a fourth." He smirked as he looked at her out the corner of his eye seeing her nod in affirmation he let out a laugh. He certainly had a good streak of luck first finding this strange girl, no rather she found him and he had no idea who she was, but still she was his now. And it thrilled him beyond belief that he could win such a grand prize, the dangers of this never reached him he didn't care about that in the least. This woman was his ticket to great things.

A lone figure stepped in their path standing a few feet away, his features covered by his hood and his posture aggressive. Now that he had a closer look Alex scrutinized the two, sniffing once and his eyes fell on the girl. _So it's her... _He really couldn't believe it but she senses were acute. She had creamy pale skin with long flowing light brown hair that fell to her waist and bangs that fell over her forehead stopping at her nose, her eyes were a lighter shade of brown. Her outfit was the kicker, she had on a white top doubled with a collar and straps, with an opening on her collar exposing her well developed breasts, on each of her arms was a brown almost orange sleeve going up to her biceps, she had matching stockings on her legs and all white boots that went with her flowing skirt that stopped at the middle of her thighs. All in all she would be cute by human standards, knowing some she was excuse his french. Fuckable.

The man looked as imposing as a mouse. He was tall and had a slim build his skin had a normal complexion not too light or dark. He wore a set of expensive looking glasses. His hair was dark brown and average length, bangs fell over the length of his forehead covering his sharp brown eyes. His outfit consisted of a long sleeve black shirt that was unbuttoned showing dark colored plan t-shirt, black pants that fell just below his ankle and black shoes to finish off his outfit. Alex snarled quietly not liking that smug smile on the man's face, the way he put his hand on his hip and sneered his nose up as if he Alex Mercer. Zeus was below him. Before Alex knew what he was doing he took a step forward, his arms surging with power as the Blacklight shifted towards his hands ready to form his favorite talons.

"And just who the hell are you?" Himura asked with a snarky tone setting his jaw.

Alex responded with a cold laugh that sent a chill down his spine like the crisp night air. He swallowed hard shaking off the feeling as he looked at Nanami who looked terrified, he nudged her sending a scowl in her direction. She looked away but nodded, he himself was afraid but he wouldn't show it he had to be strong. She was strong and should show no fear, she was a fierce fighter, and for all intents and purposes that was a human standing in their path which would be a quick fix, although the sidewalk maybe a bit bloody afterwards. But to have such a haunting, chilling laugh this guy was one freaky son of a bitch. "Nanami attack." He ordered.

"But I can't." She protested.

"I don't give a damn about the rules just kill this guy so we can go back home." Himura said with impatience.

"I'm sorry," Nanami said in a soft tone as she stepped forward pointing her spear forward ready to go on the attack. She eyed the hooded man with narrowed eyes, she didn't want to attack this man. He was innocent and had nothing to do with the Sekirei game, but she'd do as her Ashikabi commanded be it killing this person or robbing a bank she'd do it despite her own misgivings. She advanced forward a few steps leveling a hard gaze with him. "But I must do this."

"Real cute." Alex said almost snickering at her stupidity. "What are you waiting for attack me?"

Nanami frowned, pushing off with her back foot she shot forward like a speeding bullet her spear closing the distance faster than one normally could. She didn't care if she hurt this man anymore he attacked her pride, and nobody got away with that. "HAAA!" She exclaimed as she thrust forward with the spear tip aiming the cured portion towards his collarbone.

A deafening screech ran through the air, Alex's hand morphed into the razor sharp talons the usual process of forming and condensing bypassed. He barely felt the sparks showering around him and the woman as he held off the attack with no effort. Nanami clenched her teeth as she struggled to push her spear another inch, another inch and she'd tear through his skull. Her boots dug into the ground as she continued to push her arms straining, bones shaking from the mountain she was pushing against. Unlike Shou he didn't want to test this girl's abilities, so he chambered his fist back cracking it across her mouth, blood flooded her mouth as she flew back crashing into the side of a building slumping downward.

_What? _Nanami looked up with wide eyes she was more than four feet away from the man, she inhaled deeply spitting out a handful of blood rubbing the remainder of it away with her sleeve. Staggering up to her feet she closed the distance between them again, standing in front of Himura with narrowed eyes her spear pointing up diagonally. _He's strong..._ She grimaced feeling blood pour back into her mouth, reaching the back of her throat giving her an unpleasant metallic taste. _I can't remember hearing about a Sekirei with these kind of abilities.. His hand morphed into talons and I can't recall ever hearing of a Sekirei able to do this, but if he isn't a Sekirei then... What is he and how can he do all of this? _Nanami stiffened her posture as the hooded man advanced it wasn't slow or fast, he took his time as if he was sizing her up and Hmura, studying them. "Who are you?" She managed to ask. The man didn't respond only inclining his head ever so slightly, his leather jacket glistening in the eerie moonlight. It was a visage that would haunt even her nightmares.

"Answer her you fucking-" Himura's curse was cut off as he shrieked deftly his hands snapping up towards his neck where Alex's strong hand clasped down even tighter. One minute he was standing there and the next he was getting choked, impossible! His eyes widened more as they caught sight of an arm, his arm spanning the entire length between them. Before he could think deeper on the subject of how this man extended his arm he let out a choked gasp as he was slowly lifted off of the ground.

"Shut up." Alex said coldly feeling the man's windpipe about to give.

"Let him go! Now!" Nanami's eyes blazed with hell fire as she propelled herself towards his standing form, her spear coming from the side in a wide arc looking to slice him in half. No doubt it would be an attack that would leave his intestines sprawled on the cement. _Hmmm. _Alex smirked as he dodged her first thrust, deflecting her second as if it was child's play, winding up his leg he rammed the tip into her stomach knocking the oxygen from her lungs and forcing her to see stars. Nanami blinked once, twice, her eyes rolled behind her head and all she could see was black before color came swimming back with such ferocity it made her dizzy. She went on the attack again letting out a war cry as he jabbed and cut forward, each attack avoided and knocked away as if he could read her mind, every time her blade got close enough those talons would dart up and skew its trajectory. She normally held the advantage due to her reach and her opponent having to try and bypass her spear, but this situation it was working against her. Slowly he was increasing his strength, each clash shook her bones and forced her to clamp her teeth down. _She's has spunk I'll give her that much. And she certainly is versed with that spear.. _Alex allowed a small smirk to grace his face as he parried a blow that nearly skimmed his nose, with lightning speed he slammed his fist into her stomach almost dislodging it from her back.

Nanami screamed hoarsely as he retched violently, her arms wrapping around her midsection as she dropped to the cement sucking her knees up. Her spear dropped to the ground with a loud clang echoing in the barren area. _I can't breathe... _Nanami panicked as she sucked in air but coughed as soon as it hit the back of her throat sending another flash of pain in her abdomen, she opened her mouth to try and alleviate the overwhelming paralysis but it did little to staunch it her body simply convulsed and wouldn't respond to any command. _No... No... I..._ She gritted her teeth moving up a centimeter but the pain sent her back down as well as a foot courtesy of Alex.

"Stay down." He said in a cold tone as he retracted his normal hand back with a struggling and kicking Himura in his grasp. Alex hardly felt his jostling movements his grip too strong like an iron vise that clamped down slowly and more pressure was built up as it went on instead of just all force being exerted in that moment. Nanami could only watch with horrified and stricken eyes as he Ashikabi smashed his hand on the hooded man's wrist but there was no give at all, it looked like someone trying to push a mountain. It just wasn't going to happen. "Himura-sama..." Nanami felt hot tears spring to her eyes. This was the end of the road for both of them, it was good while it lasted.

"You look fairly interesting." Alex mused a loud as he stared at Himura his eyes starting to glow a sinister red that matched the malice smirk spreading across his face. "You were a waste. But now, now you'll have a purpose if only that purpose is to become my meal." Faster than either's five senses could track, Alex's talons buried themselves in his torso protruding out from the center of his back. Blood gushed out like a faucet and bones crunched and flew away in the mist of red as a loud cry of agony reverberated through the entire city being heard as far as six miles away. Alex paid the woman no mind as a black-blue ooze poured out of his arms completely covering the corpse in his grip, slowly and surely the ooze pressed and squeezed moving itself and the body back into Alex's body as the process of disintegration and assimilation began.

Nanami could only stare in horror at the scene having gathered herself on her hands and knees. Every part of her ached but nothing like her stomach, she'd never felt such a dull and lingering pain in her entire life. And that was saying a lot considering the fights she'd been in, with misty eyes she retched as the last of her Ashiakbi's body was pooled into the hooded man's she wanted to scream for him to stop, to spare him and do whatever this was to her but the words died in her throat sucking themselves down like a lump of flesh. Fear coursed through her as those glowing eyes focused on her, she struggled to stand up, her legs giving out after she made it halfway to her full height. The man slowly advanced on her until he was standing over her like a demon in the night, his hood hiding all of his features except those glowing eyes, nose, and mouth. "You won't be getting up anytime soon." His voice was so cold. She felt her blood freeze and tears spring into her eyes burning down her cheeks.

"P-Please don't kill me." She stared into his cold, sinister unforgiving eyes gulping down another lump. "Please." She cried softly.


	12. Chapter 12

I'd have to say... Alex could beat the majority of the Avengers. I mean he's a living virus, he got a bomb dropped on him and he reformed from sticking some of the Blacklight on a gull. He reformed himself from practically nothing. Not to mention he can send out hundreds, thousands of tentacles and is able to form talons that are more than five inches long. No, the only way I could see Alex being defeated, _truly _defeated is if he was somehow dropped into the sun. There's that Whitelight or whatever that eats away at him, but he could build an immunity. While the sun, he couldn't do anything but melt and burn until there was nothing left.

* * *

There was one thing that always rang true. It was a certainty just like the sun rose and set, the leaves changing from their lush green to brilliant shades or orange, yellow, and red, the moon waxing and waning changing the tides on a dime. There were always certainties in life, and Shou knew that better than anyone, somethings couldn't be changed, while others wouldn't.

A certain was he had a temper. Shou had a vicious temper. Okay that's a severe, severe understatement. He's down right volatile with certain things. His fury knew no bounds and had no limitations. he can admit that himself. One of those things was orders being disobeyed, insubordination was not tolerated in any view or aspect. Whether it was for a good reason or a bad reason, facts are facts, disobeying was out of the question in any situation. He leaned against the cement pillar by the front door arms folded over his chest, he was plotting, planning. Kaie, she was very useful, she was well informed with the Sekirei Game as Minaka put it. Now there were just a few people standing in his way, well no matter they were just a small piece in a much bigger puzzle.

His blood, what would be his blood began to boil. Conflict, mayhem, chaos, carnage, it was all the virus lived for thrived on. To evolve and adept getting stronger, weakness wasn't an option, it _wasn't _an option. He knew the urges, the urge to kill to feed on everything in sight, but he was never driven by such primal urges even when he was human, he wasn't shackled by things of this nature. Of course he wasn't eating people for their biomass, but there were other things that were keenly like this feeling to kill and wreak havoc, but like he always said. Destruction is easy to cause, and can be done at anytime but fulfilling plans in the long term that was the key.

He did enjoy killing, he would admit that as bluntly as he spoke if asked, and then proceed to cutting down that individual for wasting his time. There was just something about gliding across the ground cutting through people with his sword-like blades, there was a rush his vision turned a hazy dark red. And then those instincts took over those most basic primal instincts of the virus. Feed and evolve, crush anyone who stands in your way, to stand, and stand alone with his own power. But as time progressed he 'tamed' these urges only doing it when necessary rather than on base instinct. He demonstrated that back at MBI tower while there were still more soldiers to kill, dozens of more floors to stroll down leaving a trail of dismembered heads and severed bodies leaking with blood and oozing out with ruptured organs; he chose against that and instead departed.

_Sanada..._ He scowled. That was the guy running around in this sector of the city claiming it as his own. It was very obvious that he didn't know he was stalking through these streets, who exactly was this guy? The name on its own sounded somewhat amusing this guy couldn't be over twenty five probably way too cocky for his own good. However for all of that talk he had never encountered someone with another Sekirei, aside from Junichi and Kaie was found despite doing her best to stay concealed, she must have felt his presence, it wasn't something someone would miss even the most oblivious human would feel their hairs stand up and skin crawl with goosebumps. And the effect he had on Yashima at their first encounter was typical, but there was one thing that was different he spared her. Normally he'd just kill her and consume her, but she was useful, she was proving to be useful although a bit strange and would be useful in the future.

"Shou-sama." Kaie announced her arrival with Yashima just coming down the stairs and entering the lobby. Yashima walked like she normally would but her face contorted at times showing her discomfort. It was a nasty wound meant to actually kill her and if not then to stop her from continuing her pursuit, Kaie seemed to have her well scouted in that encounter. From the way Kaie spoke of some people especially this Higa fellow her hatred and disdain was very clear on her features and in her tone. He looked back at Yashima as she got closer, yes a very nasty wound and she wasn't nearly as versed in adaptable than him so it'd be there for a while, another reason why he wanted her to stay back.

But Kaie did say she doesn't have to fight. But, having a wounded person with them meant that they'd be slowed down. And while he didn't care about Yashima in the sense he did want his tool, his slave to be in top condition. It made no sense for her to be battered and beat up if it wouldn't further his own ends in the long run. However he didn't want to spend his entire time playing cat and mouse in the west sector. That nagging feeling was back again, a million times worse and he could almost feel his skin, what would be considered his skin crawl and tingle. It wasn't a pleasant sensation, what or who was around?

"We're ready when you are." Yashima piped up with a cheerful tone. Trying to be optimistic. He looked at her again, glad to see that she wasn't covered with frosting or crumbs. He'd never get humans, and definitely didn't want that toxic combination anywhere near him. All of those dyes, colors, and mixtures, not to mention it wasn't alive; he didn't want any part of it. But he realized that for such a small girl she had quite the appetite and a sick sweet tooth, he only hoped Kaie wasn't as much of a pig when it came to food.

"Stay here." He said looking at both of the girls, his stare lingering on Yashima. She had a terrible of habit of following him around as if trying to stick to him like a leech. She was like his shadow and he didn't really understand the means or the motive behind it and her behaving in such a strange way. Seeing that they were both staying in place Yashima looked slightly downtrodden he continued walking away, his muscular and tall frame moving to the front desk swiftly, he leaned an elbow on the desk looking at Lina type away on her keyboard, pausing, and filing something putting it into the cabinets on the side. "Lina." His voice deep and calm.

"Ah. What can I do for you Shou?" She asked in a chipper tone, giving him her full attention.

"I want a list written up and typed up of everyone that has checked in a_nd _out of here within the past month. I want their room numbers and any information on them." He said. Many would scoff at his choosing of a hotel for a base and two warehouses in the docks, but there was a reason behind it. The docks were always flowing with business from trade boats, commercial yachts, fishing boats varying from small to huge and several other activities made it a daily scene of people and commuters; and the hotels were a goldmine in a sense. Everyone was migrating to Teito for its advance medical technology, and many were leaving as well, important figures were bound to be in the mix. And it was _his _hotel, everyone there worked for him even if they didn't know it themselves, it was only good principle to keep a steady check on the customers.

"Of course I'll have them sent up to your room."

He nodded his head a few times, turning on his heel and making his way towards his pair of Sekirei. They couldn't be anymore contrasting, Kaie tall and Voluptuous while Yashima was short, petite, and tight. It was funny seeing them stand side by side, even their gazes were different Kaie's steady and intense while Yashima looked determined but pensive also, a strange combination, but he had seen and heard stranger. "Come." He said as he swiftly exited the front door, Kaie following after him without question with the Hammer Sekirei behind nodding her head slightly in response. She sucked in a breath, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun. It was a terribly hot day the blazing rays smothered them and the entire city in a thick, pasty heat the humidity and dew point were high and cicadas buzzed loudly their nature's song echoing throughout the metropolis. She wasn't exactly fond of hot weather were her pale skin and all, she wasn't sure if Sekirei could get sun burn but she was willing to bet she would be today. Kaie didn't take any effect to the sudden change in temperature, the transition from cool air conditioning to suffocatingly hot weather was never an easy one but she didn't seem to mind, in fact she seemed much more relaxed.

Shou as Yashima expected showed indifference through the shift. Which was strange considering his hair was almost to the middle of his back in some areas, and his bangs fell over his forehead and to the tips of his nose. She was hot herself with her hair just on her forehead and her ribbon woven neatly, her tight white shirt with a small opening exposing some developed cleavage and her white skirt that seemed as a one piece connected to the top provided some comfort and source of air to flow freely sweeping against the sweat droplets on her legs and on the inside, a soft sigh escaped her was still burning up, and again Shou looked indifferent to it as if he endured worse and this was just a walk in the park. How could he not be effected by one hundred and two degree weather with a humidity of eight five percent and a dew point of ninety? This weather was enough to kill the average human and could push a Sekirei to her limits of enduranc, even if they were faster and stronger they needed water and food just like a human, and in higher amounts.

The nagging feeling was back and seemed like it was going to be sticking to him like a leech on a whale. He never blew off a hunch or instincts. They never lead his astray before and they wouldn't know. What could it be? What could cause him to react like this, have such a... Restless feeling? He grunted quietly so only he could hear himself, there weren't many things that could make him feel this way. The total number of possibilities he could count one hand, and that's it only one hand, so it wasn't much and it narrowed it down to just a few things. One: He was being spied on at this very moment, someone in the shadows was lurking hoping to gain information on him. Two: There was a bomb heading right for him, but that wasn't it at all. And lastly three: Another...

"Where do we look first? Shou-sama?" Yashima asked looking between Kaie and Shou who had been silent for the last ten minutes or so. Kaie dressed in something not so... Eccentric and Shou looked like a Japanese native although maybe four hundred years in the past since his outfit consisted of black hakama pants, a purple gi and over that he wore a dark blue haori with a semi triangular pattern at the beginning of the sleeves that covered his hands effectively, she shook off the feeling she got seeing his hair blew in the wind and the sun glow around his figure. "What part of the west?"

"Yashima. Shut up." Shou said harshly almost whirling around on her but kept his focus forward returning back to his thoughts. It wasn't so much Yashima's question but rather her timing, she had awful timing and that went beyond just battle it seemed to be a part of her nature. Kaie remained silent but sent Yashima an apologetic look hoping it was enough to help the little Sekirei be in higher spirits. Shou didn't want her to come with whether that was because he was worried about her wound or just didn't want her around remained to be seen, but she was leaning in the direction of the wound, although he wasn't worried out of the goodness of his heart. She could feel something cold and ghastly flare off of him constantly, his aura dark and suffocating. "Kaie..."

"Right," the blonde said in a level tone as she looked from side to side, her eyes narrowing as she concentrated. Sekirei couldn't exactly sense the individuals around them or over long distances, they merely went on their intuition and memory to seek people out. Whether it was two years or two hours Kaie had it locked in her mind, engraved on her brain. The rest of her sisters she couldn't speak for, many of them were too over confident or too infatuated over the entire winging process to pay much attention to anything outside of their warped and one dimensional lives. They were warriors, born to fight! That's what she knew best, combat, war, she lived for it. But the others they were too idealistic, drowned in their own devices or folly of their Ashikabi.

The tall rooftops of the west were like mega trees in prehistoric times, providing a healthy amount of shade that Yashima was happy to indulge in. People hustled and bustled, this one of the few remaining busy sectors of the city, and man did it show. Shou hated crowds and lines, it was claustrophobia it was sheer annoyance and irritation that drew his hatred for the two things. As such he shoved none too gently people out of his way that decided to step into his path at that minute, silencing them with a deadly glare. Kaie stayed at his side, and Yashima a few paces behind slowly reaching his other side, she looked around with her big gray eyes but spotted nothing worthwhile aside from a few arguments and tourists arguing with a tow truck driver. No, Shou didn't want to know about that.

"There." Kaie pointed up at a rooftop that wasn't even in clear sight. Shou actually found himself stretching his head back trying to see the top, with his enhanced vision he saw it no problem. He brought his head forward, turning his steely gaze onto Kaie gesturing for the two of them to follow and quickly as he made his way towards a dark alley Kaie and Yashima hot on his heels as he cut the corner and moved for a few more feet relaxing against a wall drowned out in dark shadows. Kaie stood opposite of him and Yashima leaned against the wall a few inches away from him, a small smile on her face as she looked up at him but it quickly vanished. He wasn't even looking at her or paying her any mind, her eyes saddened as she stared at her feet.

"You seen this clown up there?" Shou asked, as unlikely as it sounded it was better to rule out every option than to assume.

"It was around here." Kaie nodded to their surroundings, her eyes narrowing again as she went deep in thought. "The tower that I pointed is a landmark. Well, I use it for a landmark when I was on the run and stumbled upon this sector of the city. From there you can see the entire western sector and the three other sectors, although the north, south, and east are not in great depth or detail, the west and our current location is a different story."

"I see." Shou said in a satisfied tone as he hauled up Yashima and Kaie both under his arms letting out gasps and yelps of shock. He adjusted them quickly without as much of a strain. From their experience both girls knew that Sekirei tended to be heavier than humans, even the smallest ones like Yashima were pretty dense.

"Shou-sama!"

"What are you doing?"

He silenced both of them as he bent his legs half way, springing up like a bullet enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing passed his face blowing his hair in every which direction. There was a feeling of fondness as he traveled through the air, a sense of freedom. Yashima clutched onto his arm and sleeve for dear life as she watched the ground get smaller and smaller with each passing second, soon people were like ants and she felt her breath catch in her throat at the thought of being dropped or falling, she clung to him tighter. Kaie was much calmer though a bit on edge, her arms were wrapped gently around his providing just enough support so she wouldn't drop.

"Ow!" Yashima cried abruptly as she bounced off the ground, Shou dropping her without a single care, giving Kaie the same treatment except the blonde was quick enough to land on her feet. "You didn't have to drop me."

"Suck it up and stop bitching." Shou said dryly as he made his way towards the edge, bumping into her almost knocking her to the ground again. Yashima was quick to regroup throwing a small frown of hurt and anger his way. "You've been through worse. And you wanted to come with. _Do not_ start whining now." He said the last few words in a low tone that sent a chill through both of the girl's, that voice was filled with a billion threats and promises of a swift and painful death. Sighing mentally, Yashima dusted herself off trotting after him as Kaie neared him taking a seat on an air conditioner resting her back against the brick ledge behind it. Shou set his foot on the edge of the roof resting his arm across it, his eyes peering down on the city below. Fools they all fools and soon they'd see how futile and meaningless their existence truly is.

"So do we wait?" Yashima asked taking a seat on the ground with her legs crossed, she looked every bit of the cute and petite girl that she is. She looked at Shou for a few long moments as silence crept by the only sound coming from the streets below from the hustle and bustle of the Teito citizens. She spoke up to break this awkward an tense silence, she knew by now that this happened a lot. Shou would stay silent for hours on end not even looking in her direction despite her best efforts to get his attention, so she'd try to break the silence but it always lingered wrapping her up like a heated cocoon. "Um-" this time Kaie shot her a look that said to 'shut up before you push your luck.' And Yashima obeyed without a complaint shutting her mouth and looking at her white knee high boots, Kaie was right. She was treading on thin ice being out here wounded she didn't need to make their master more irate by talking incessantly.

"Kaie. This Sanada fellow, do you know anything else about him? His habits, routes, likes, dislikes, daily routines things of that nature?" Shou asked not breaking his gaze from the streets below for a second. He didn't mind observing from his perch unseen by the sheep below and Sanada, however he was a man of action. A man of war. Waiting around like this with no other goal than to hopefully spot his target wasn't the best idea in the book, hell it couldn't be put in the book it was such a bad idea. But sometimes things like this needed to be done it was a lot like reconnaissance in war. Nobody wanted to do it but it had to be done, for some it was hard to swallow when all they wanted to was pull the trigger and keep it held down.

"No, but he does ride a bike. It's pretty noisy and you can't miss it." She replied succinctly closing her eyes as a gust of wind rushed around them cooling her skin and rushing through her blonde hair with a flare. It was refreshing to say the least, and welcomed as she seen Yashima growing more restless with discomfort and wiping sweat off of her forehead every few minutes, to say she wasn't built for this weather would be laughable since she could swing around that giant hammer, but it actually appeared she wasn't built for this kind of weather. She sighed softly opening her eyes again, staring up at Shou who now stood upright his back straight but not erect.

"There are... A lot of bikes in this city Kaie..." Shou said with a dull tone resisting the urge to scoff at her comment. That didn't narrow it down very much, what kind of bike did Sanada have? In this city where people owned four different cars and three different bikes it was hard to tell on any given day, and despite the differences between each make, year, and model they all began to blend it with each other the differences were keen but the similarities were too glaring. Cars looked the same now a days there was no flare behind them, just made to be made for a profit, nothing about the engine or the blood and sweat people went through decades ago to make the 'perfect' car. It was almost mocking, but why did he care any ways? He had no use for such a method of transportation when he could run faster than three hundred miles if her wanted to; the only vehicle that would be of any use would be a jet or a plane things of that nature. But he was already working on a way to get around that little hiccup.

"It's really noisy." Kaie repeated with a level tone not flinching from the hard stare he shot at her. She sighed, clearing her throat and continuing. "It's just really loud. I'm telling you, you won't miss it."

"Mmmm..." Shou hummed quietly turning away from her but not before he softened his gaze ever so slightly. Noisy, Kaie was keen on it being noisy. Well, that didn't narrow it down by _that _much but what would have been several billion was narrowed down to the low millions maybe even low thousands, but it was still too hard to say for sure which make, year, and model the bike was. "Noisy.." He said the word quietly echoing Kaie's previous statement.

"I think I know what it is." Yashima chimed in slightly nervous, the air was thick again, which was common but she'd never get use to it.

Shou sighed quietly, frowning deeply as he turned his intense gaze onto her again. "This is not a game, Yashima. If you are not sure of your answer, and have nothing to offer, then keep your mouth shut." Shou said in a dry tone making no move to hide the disdain and anger in his voice, he was all for her helping if she could. Guessing wasn't going to get them anywhere and indulging Yashima in whatever fantasy she was currently day dreaming of wouldn't get him very far either. Yashima looked at him for a long moment her gray eyes glistening before she tore them back to the ground. "We'll get no where standing around here. Kaie. Yashima." He said as he lunged across the edge shooting towards a rooftop at least two blocks away in distance, Yashima and Kaie quickly followed him the smaller Sekirei trailing behind.

"I'm going to find this guy..." Shou growled clenching his hands into fists. You never went into another dog's yard claiming it as your own. The reason was simple because you'd get your face mauled off. As far as Shou was concerned this whole area was _his _territory, _his _land. Sanada had balls for being so bold about his take over.

"Shou-sama. I'm going to go up higher." Kaie announced before she beamed upwards gracefully twirling and flipping, landing on a rooftop smoothly and continuing her sprint keeping her eyes trained forward. Shou couldn't help but smirk at her tactical mind, Kaie was a strategist first and foremost. She'd scout out the lower grounds while he kept his focus on everything around her that she missed. It was simple but a genius plan at its core. _These Sekirei are proving to be more useful than I originally thought, I'll need another one soon. _He thought putting on a burst of speed. Yashima who had been at his side quicly lagged behind forcing her legs to move faster until she caught up again.

"Don't stray too far behind Yashima, stay at my side. And if there is a fight. _You will not get involved do I make myself clear?" _He asked in a low growl, eyeing her viciously as he narrowed his dark eyes on her. Yashima was torn for a moment on one hand her heart raced at his proclamation although it wasn't an I love you or a sweet kiss like she desperately craved it was still enough to warm. Stay at his side, he wanted her to stay at his side; her heart began to race and a small smile graced her face. She didn't really want to fight, she wasn't one for combat but she couldn't let Kaie take one three Sekirei by herself no matter how swift and deceptive the blonde was.

"Yes Shou-sama." Yashima said with a few nods, hoping he'd turn back to look at her. Her heart skipped three beats as he glanced at her out the corner of his eye gesturing for her to speed up as he put on yet another boost lunging across the rooftops. Yashima put on her own burst keeping up with him by jumping up and around the smaller rooftops until she gained enough ground to run towards him.

* * *

Pain. A dull and throbbing pain. Nanami stirred from the inky blackness that shrouded her vision and consumed her conscious. She had been through much worse in Sekirei fights, but she couldn't recall what happened. The last thing she remembered was seeing Himura, her Ashiakbi being choked to death and then stabbed brutally before being covered in some strange liquid. She shuddered at the memory, the images serving as a force to drive her back up, planting her on the ground she pushed herself up.

It didn't feel like the concrete in fact it was soft if not a bit more firm but nothing like the unforgiving concrete. Nothing got brighter, she turned her head in every direction seeing nothing but black. "Well..." She murmured to herself as she took a few careful steps forward, extending her arm so her palm was facing out away from her. She felt something solid but she couldn't tell what it was, sliding her hand down she searched for a knob or something that would identify the tall and sturdy structure.

"I got it." She whispered to herself as she clenched the knob, turning it slowly checking if it was locked. It wasn't. She turned it fully, her eyes zoning towards the bed at the center of the room. Red and white sheets were set perfectly on the sleeping article along with about ten pillows all of them neatly organized. Taking a steady breath she stepped out shutting the door behind her quietly. "A room..." She muttered her eyes flicking to the giant dresser at the edge of the left side of the room the top decorated with origami pieces and several exquisite wine drinking cups rimmed with gold and silver. They looked more for like decoration and show than for actual use, she stepped towards them halting just a few inches away. They were really dazzling if she had to describe them the gold and silver linings beamed in the sunlight wafting through the window, causing them almost twinkle.

Forcing herself to look away she quickly advanced towards the window looking down, her eyes nearly bugging from her head. She could see people beneath her, or what would be people but from where she was they looked like ants, no even smaller than ants. Her heart began to hammer in her chest, thudding in her throat as she quickly dashed away moving towards the door knob, and clasping it. With a quick turn she slipped into the hallway, remembering she forgot her spear, she glanced back inside seeing her now ruined weapon cracked in half and the blade curled like someone wrenched it. "I'll get another one. For now I have to escape." She said to herself as she moved down the maze of hallways, looking at the room numbers and floor numbers as she went. "I think I'm in a hotel judging by the appearance of everything." She said a loud as she filed down several flights of stairs, pushing open the door of floor forty two and made her way down the hall.

She didn't question why she was still active at this moment, the only thing driving her was survival. She had to get out of here, that man, whoever he was was dangerous. Extremely dangerous, the visage of red ominous eyes sent a chill down her spine and a pang through her core that made her just want to give up and cry herself to sleep. That man couldn't be human, humans were weak and fragile, and he couldn't be a Sekirei despite his physical prowess Sekirei didn't mold things out of a strange liquid, and they sure as hell didn't engulf somebody with that liquid. Horrified with the haunting memories she ran faster, before she knew it she was on the first floor nearing the lobby. Freedom.

"Alex, I'm not exactly sure this hotel allows such a thing. It's not in conduct code or the basis."

"I don't care about the fucking conduct." Alex snarled, his eyes narrowing to red slits as his hands dug into the desk. He was growing more and more displeased at the second with Lina. Lina this insufferable stuck up wench who dared to deny _him _his request. That was quick way to die in his book, him angry was not good it was worse than world war III and all the bombs put together, there was a reason only Blackwatch targeted him aside from their enmity and deep rooted hatred.

"Alex, even if I did have permission to do as your request... We don't have the materials you're asking for, this is a hotel not a blacksmith." Lina said keeping her tone calm and pleasant. It wasn't condescending or spiteful it was genuine and honest, and that made him all the more pissed. While she wasn't looking down on him or trying to piss him off intentionally, she was still doing just that denying him what he wanted.

"Fine." He said angrily slamming his fist onto the desk, the legs and base cracked before giving away completely and crumbling to the floor in separate pieces, splinters and debris flying across the room from his physical outburst.

"Now that was just redundant." Lina sighed heavily frowning in annoyance as she took in her wrecked workplace. Shou wasn't going to be very happy with the place being a mess and he'd want to know who did it. But she could solve this with her first task, kill two birds with one stone. "All of that paperwork..." She moaned burying her face in her hands shaking her head helplessly.

He turned on his heel storming off, his eyes glowing an ominous red again. Nanami's eyes widened as he got closer as a vigorous pace, on instinct she ran down the hall as fast as she could hoping he didn't see her. That dark and suffocating presence was back and was ten times worse than before. Maybe it was because of her desire to protect Himura that it didn't effect her to this extent.

"Oh no..." She muttered fearfully feeling like her knees were about to give out. "Shit!" She exclaimed, sprinting down the hallways and winding corridors, her heart thumping in her throat forcing her to take heaving breaths of oxygen. Sweat drifted off of the side of her head splashing onto the carpet behind her as she skipped up several stairs at once putting to shame even the quickest human athletes. Her hands held onto the railing, supporting her weight and keeping her balance with her increasing speed.

"No choice." She said to herself as she slammed her shoulder against the thick glass, feeling the barrier give from her weight and momentum. Her eyes glowed with keen happiness and she felt the unbearable heat blast her skin and the wind gust wildly throwing her brown locks every which way. "I've escaped."

"Is that right?" Nanami turned her head, fearing consuming her entire body as she stared at the hooded man. Those red eyes glaring at her, piercing into her core and leaving her feeling exposed and naked. She felt a pressure on her ankle, she gave a jerk trying to free herself but the man didn't as much move a centimeter despite her powerful method of escape that would no doubt knock a human and even a Sekirei back a couple feet. "I was mad already... But my meal trying to escape now that is just... Unforgivable." He clenched his teeth showing off his sharp canines. In one quick motion he twisted her leg laughing as he heard a loud pop and her scream reverberate through the air and off the walls around them, he threw her on the floor. Watching as she struggled to crawl away, her kneecap and shin bone both popping from her skin splattering blood on the walls and the floor. "I wanted to avoid that method... But you leave me no choice now." He said coldly as he stomped on her good leg several times, bones crunched and cracked from his strength sending her into a chorus of agonizing screams.

"Ah..." Nanami whimpered pitifully as she tried dragging herself away, but Alex was in no mood for his favorite game and snatched her up by the ankle holding her so she was eye level with him. She didn't dare to open her eyes, the pain was far too great. She suffered broken bones before, but this pain was a new experience, this man must have broken at least four bones with that quick twist and broke another six during his stomping. She felt nauseated and without a conscious effort she retched though nothing came out escape for another cry of pain.

"Now... Since you tried to run away this is going to be very painful..." He said with a dark smirk. He threw Nanami at the wall, her back crashed into it knocking the wind from her lungs. She slid down to the floor in a crumbled broken heap. She had little time to react or scream as a tentacle plunged through her stomach tearing and rupturing her organs as it made its exit clinging to the wall behind her. She tried to scream but blood gushed out from her mouth like a steady faucet choking her words down. The pain was horrible, burning and voracious her body convulsed and she struggled to mount an offence or defense. Another two tentacles pierced through her torso one just below her rib cage and the other in her right shoulder, this time she screamed at the top of her lungs as tears flooded her eyes and streamed down her cheeks mixing with the crimson substance.

"P-Please don't eat me..." Nanami pleaded. "Please-AGGHH!"

Her words fell on deaf ears and were cut short as several tentacles shot forward piercing and tearing through mouth exiting from the back of her skull, throwing spinal bones and brain matter as far as three feet around them. Each tentacle bulged for a second before slowly moving and spreading itself over her dying body. Nanami could only watch in horror and cry silent tears as the black-blue ooze spread across her like a comforter and eat away at the light in front of her eyes, she tried to scream again but a sharp clamping pain silenced her and slowly she felt her lungs burn for oxygen. "That waste of skin Himura seemed to have his uses, as will you." Alex said coldly with a devious smirk on his face as the tentacles heaved her body up and forward mashing it into his own. "That was very satisfying.. I do hate when my meals escape but this makes up for it... Welcome to the food chain."


End file.
